In the News
Facebooks is taking a step towards increased user privacy. Chaim Gartenberg at The Verge discusses Facebook’s move towards adding end-to-end encryption on Messenger and Instagram Direct. Gartenberg explains that this move aims to fuse communication between individuals using Messenger, Instagram Direct, and WhatsApp. Gartenberg elaborates that end-to-end encryption would create more privacy for user messaging by not allowing Facebook to access individual messages.
Our Take
Facebook has been in hot water recently for various instances of systemic data misuse. Specifically, the Cambridge Analytica incident brought increased attention to the issue of data privacy and transparency. While many of these scandals have sparked change in the data storage industry, Facebook still seemed to be lacking the change implementation that other platforms have since implemented. The decision for Facebook to establish end-to-end encryption on all three of its main messaging platforms is a step in the right direction for creating a digital environment more centered on consumer privacy and autonomy. While the move was produced in the company’s interest of increasing use of the platforms, consumers can take pride in knowing that their data will be made a bit more secure in the future. As with all forms of social media, be careful not to overshare your personal information and to keep your network to only those individuals whom you know and trust.
Recommendations
How can you protect your personal information while using social media and messaging apps?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Be aware of default settings on social media platforms that automatically back up photos, files, and other potentially sensitive information to the Cloud. Use privacy settings when they are available
- Use safe password practices, and take advantage of Multi-factor Authentication where possible
- Know your rights when it comes to data use and storage
- Refrain from sharing highly sensitive information through messaging apps and services