Rest of the Day: End-to-End Encryption Comes to Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger, one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world, is finally getting a feature that should be considered a must: end-to-end message encryption. However, there are caveats here.
- Facebook calls encryption “secret conversations,” and enabling this feature means that only two devices sending and receiving messages can decode them. You will also have the option to specify an expiration date for messages so that they disappear after a set time. Some have criticized Facebook’s decision to use encryption instead of encrypting everything. This is a trade-off, however, given the difficulty of implementing end-to-end encryption on a platform that also interacts with bots, infinite media, and other applications and services across multiple devices at the same time. This feature is currently being tested with a small number of users and will be actively rolled out later this summer. You can see a demo of David Marcus’ Messenger chapter below. [The newspaper “New York Times]
- In other news, shipping some of your small orders to Amazon is now slightly cheaper. Amazon has reduced shipping costs for third-party sellers selling products that fit in small envelopes. The move could aim to lure Chinese merchants into competing marketplaces, Alibaba. [Bloomberg via DealNews ]
- Amazon is also encouraging people to shop with Alexa by offering exclusive deals that can only be purchased by talking to a virtual assistant. You can view discounted merchandise at Amazon.com/AlexaDeals , which includes a $ 10 discount on any order over $ 20 purchased through Alexa before July 12, also known as Amazon Prime Day. Yes, it is definitely ironic that you are browsing the web to see what can be ordered through a futuristic speaker with voice recognition. (Honestly, you can also ask, “Alexa, what are your Prime Day deals?”) [Amazon]
Have a great weekend and stay safe.