WhatsApp has successfully rolled out end-to-end encryption for all of its 1 billion users, a massive achievement which effectively blocks any third party—including WhatsApp itself—from reading users' chats.
This means even if Whatsapp is pressured by the authorities to hand over chat logs, WhatsApp and its parent company Facebook will not be able to do so.
This roll out comes weeks after Apple's high profile clash with the FBI over the decryption of the iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters.
While the encryption provides increased privacy, it does have one key flaw.
From time to time, WhatsApp prompts its users to backup their chats to the cloud. This means that even if it is just one member of the group chat that has enabled this option, all those chats will be accessible from the server. Then it's up to the authorities to present their court orders and make an official request for the logs.
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