Government and critical infrastructure organizations are deeply confused about messaging security, with the vast majority using consumer messaging apps for sensitive discussions, according to BlackBerry research.

In a survey of 700 security decision-makers in the US, UK, Canada, and Singapore, researchers at BlackBerry Secure Communications have found that 83% use WhatsApp for sensitive communications.

Indeed, they said, it's the most-used communication method, at 83%, way ahead of personal email, at 54%, and Teams at 50%.

They showed little understanding of what security these apps actually provide, with 52% wrongly believing that encryption protects metadata, including location data, IP addresses, and communication patterns, and 47% thinking it prevents impersonation, deepfake, or spoofing attacks. More than four-in-ten thought that communications are still secured, even after a device has been compromised.

"Consumer messaging apps were never designed to handle sensitive communications, protect confidentiality, or meet the demands of high-security environments," said Christine Gadsby, chief security advisor at BlackBerry Secure Communications.

"They rely on phone numbers, not verified identities – and encryption protects the channel, not who is on it. That gap is already being exploited, as recent intelligence warnings show, and governments and critical infrastructure organizations are responding by moving toward communications infrastructure they own and trust."

The problem is that only 10% fully understand what encryption actually protects, with more than seven-in-ten viewing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) as a comprehensive security solution.

Their main misconceptions are that E2EE protects data before or after decryption, that it verifies or protects the identity of communicating parties, hides or protects metadata, and can secure devices that may have already been compromised. This misunderstanding was found pretty uniformly across all four countries surveyed, ranging from 89% to 91%.

"Organizations believe one thing while doing another. They recognize threats but trust tools that do not address them. They require capabilities their platforms cannot provide. They express confidence that exceeds their actual preparedness," the researchers concluded.

The problem, they said, is a mismatch between what security tools do and what organizations believe they do, and between policy requirements and infrastructure architecture.

"This translation failure has been enabled by marketing that emphasizes strengths while obscuring limitations, by procurement processes that accept vendor claims without independent verification, and by the natural human tendency to believe that visible security measures provide comprehensive protection," the researchers said.

Intelligence agencies in the US, the UK, and Europe have repeatedly warned about the risks of messaging apps.

Last month, the US' FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned that the Russian Intelligence Services were bypassing encryption in commercial messaging applications to compromise individual user accounts, including current and former US government officials, military personnel, political figures, and journalists.

And there's been similar activity from China-affiliated APT31 and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

WhatsApp Business users will face higher costs later this year as the platform increases the price of marketing messages, though users will see a drop in the cost of utility messages. 

First reported by TechCrunch, a spokesperson for WhatsApp confirmed the price hike in a statement given to ITPro. These changes, the spokesperson noted, aim to "better reflect" the way the service is used. 

“WhatsApp is a great way for people and businesses to get things done – everything from booking a flight, getting a back-in-stock alert or receiving a timely delivery update,” they said.

“We occasionally make adjustments to our offerings to better reflect the ways in which the service is used and the types of information people are choosing to receive.”

WhatsApp’s parent company Meta charges WhatsApp Business accounts based on four different categories. These include the marketing, authentication, customer service, and utility categories.

The marketing category, through which users can send customers offers and product announcements, is set for an increase. However, the utility category, which allows businesses to inform customers of updates to orders or account balances, will drop in price, the company confirmed.

Meta is rolling out the price changes at different speeds, with the new utility rate prices set to come into effect from August 4 while the marketing rate changes will be introduced in early October.

The extent of these rate changes will differ based on location. In India, for example, marketing rates will increase by 8% while utility rates will decrease by 67%.

The rates specifically refer to the amount paid by a business user per conversation, which is deemed as any 24-hour thread between a WhatsApp Business user and a customer of that business.

This move to increase marketing message rates comes on the back of long-running complaints from customers about spam messaging, with many reporting overloaded WhatsApp inboxes filled with messages from business users.

WhatsApp Business has changed customer relationships

WhatsApp first began charging businesses to send messages to customers back in 2018. This was the first major revenue stream the platform was looking to capitalize on. 

Since then, WhatsApp has continued to focus on its business platform and many commercial users now take advantage of the app to send their customers promotional messages or keep in contact with them from a customer service perspective.

Salesforce, for example, is partnered with WhatsApp to help its own clients connect with customers more effectively through a more bespoke, customized messaging service.

WhatsApp is also often used by businesses internally to support communication functions. In late 2022, Meta announced the platform's new ‘communities’ feature as a way of bringing smaller group chats into larger ones, helping organize chats by department or office location.

WhatsApp has announced new support for proxy server connectivity, allowing its users to retain access to the messaging service in areas with state-controlled internet.

The firm stated that the update was driven by a concern for users that are being cut off from the outside world by government internet restrictions, and will shield users from communications blackouts.

The Iranian government has restricted access to Meta platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram in recent months, and engaged in a shutdown of internet services as human rights protests have escalated across the country.

Proxy servers work by acting as an intermediary between a user and the internet-hosted service that's trying to be accessed. In cases where states limit or outright block access to WhatsApp, users will be able to connect to a proxy server that's separated from WhatsApp which then acts as a bridge to access the communications platform, bypassing state-imposed blocks.

“Our wish for 2023 is that these internet shutdowns never occur,” said WhatsApp.

“Disruptions like we’ve seen in Iran for months on end deny people’s human rights and cut people off from receiving urgent help. Though in case these shutdowns continue, we hope this solution helps people wherever there is a need for secure and reliable communication.”

In a blog post, WhatsApp confirmed that the change will not affect the end-to-end encryption (E2EE) of messages sent using the app, and reaffirmed that neither those running proxy servers, nor WhatsApp and Meta, will be able to intercept messages sent using the new method.

To activate the feature, users simply select ‘Use Proxy’ in WhatsApp’s settings, and enter a valid proxy address. These can be shared on social media, or prior to a blackout to ensure that users can continue WhatsApp communication even with heavy network restrictions in place.

Speaking to IT Pro, Mona Schroedel, a technology and privacy expert at law firm Freeths, welcomed the news but highlighted concerns around the management of volunteer servers and the potential powers afforded to criminals.

"From a data protection perspective, users are being assured that end-to-end-encryption remains in place. However, it should not be forgotten that the third party proxy server will receive the users’ IP addresses in the process," she said.

"The difficulty with this, at least in theory, may well be that not much is known about the volunteer proxy server, its location and the technical and organisational safeguards the volunteer organisation may have in place to protect that information.

"Repressive regimes who may have an interest in identifying those individuals using such a service - potentially even through setting up a proxy server themselves - regardless of whether they can decode the messages sent. Democratic regimes may also be concerned about the ability that this might give to terrorists or criminals to set up and operate their own unsupervised encrypted communications networks."

The issue at hand

Protests intensified in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini under suspicious circumstances in ‘morality police’ custody. The suspicious deaths of further protesters such as Nika Shakarami have since increased anti-government activity.

In September 2022 the hacktivist collective Anonymous hacked Iranian government websites, as well as pro-government media organisations, in support of the protestors. The group has encouraged protesters to utilise the deep web onion router TOR to use the internet without censorship, as the Iranian government has blocked access to traditional virtual private networks (VPN).

According to Statista, WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in the world with over 2 billion users, and the app has strong business use cases. Approximately 400 million people in India use WhatsApp, and the app plays a major role as a go-between for companies and customers throughout the country. It is also used for in-house communications channels in many companies.

The Indian government has shut down internet access in Kashmir several times over the past decade, in response to anti-government protests in the region. While past bans have included a region-wide communications blackout, specific action has also been taken to block messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Twitter.

The company has encouraged volunteers and organisations worldwide to set up proxy servers, in order to establish a network free from blackouts, and stated that the feature will work with servers on ports 80, 443, and 5222.

In recent years, Meta has championed the use of E2EE, against backlash from the UK government. It plans to extend E2EE to all its messaging services, including Facebook Messenger and Instagram throughout 2023, having delayed this rollout due to legislative pressure over harmful online content.

The government’s much-delayed Online Safety Bill seeks to compel social media firms to scan all messages sent on their platforms for harmful content, which would mean installing a backdoor that privacy rights campaigners such as Big Brother Watch have criticised as a threat to free speech.

For more information on establishing a proxy server, WhatsApp has outlined the process in more detail on a dedicated GitHub repository.

WhatsApp via proxy is available now in the latest version of the app.

Meta has announced a new ‘Communities’ feature for WhatsApp, allowing for group chats to be organised together under an umbrella group.

With Communities, WhatsApp states that groups such as workplaces can bring up to 50 disparate group chats together under umbrella categories such as departments or office locations. Unlike Facebook groups, WhatsApp communities will be invite-only.

For added functionality, community administrators will be able to send community-wide announcements, run community-wide polls, and manage messages within group chats.

This will allow for a hierarchical structure, in which group chats are run by individual managers with only certain individuals within an organisation given control over entire communities.

WhatsApp is one of the most widely-used messaging apps worldwide and has a wide business userbase. Around 400 million people are believed to use WhatsApp in India, where the app is also widely used for communication between companies and customers as well as for internal company communications.

Communities will primarily benefit internal communications, in practice acting like productivity apps such as Slack or Teams. The update adds to this by expanding video calls to include 32 participants, and increasing group chat sizes fourfold from a maximum of 256 to 1,024 participants, both of which benefit large teams.

However, it will still lack a number of features such as shared document editing, integrated automation, and plugins that such apps provide. Despite this, as WhatsApp is free it remains a useful option for communication amongst small and medium-sized businesses.

WhatsApp Business, a separate app from WhatsApp LLC, allows businesses to engage directly with customers manually and through basic automation, as well as advertise catalogues within the app.

CRM specialist Salesforce and WhatsApp partnered recently to offer firms a unified commerce and marketing platform within WhatsApp, with the ability to bring customers into a chat through adverts on Facebook, and use data to target audiences.

A key feature of WhatsApp chats is that they are end-to-end encrypted (E2EE), giving an added layer of privacy to all messages sent on the app. Businesses might find this especially attractive, as it offers a layer of security for sensitive business information.

This is not without controversy, with the UK government largely opposed to E2EE despite two-thirds of IT professionals saying banning E2EE would do more harm than good. The currently stalled Online Safety Bill, proposed under former home secretary Priti Patel, would override E2EE by legally compelling companies operating messaging apps to scan for child abuse imagery.

Although WhatsApp is frequently applied in the private sector, its use by public servants such as MPs has drawn the attention of the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). In July, the ICO called for a review of the government's WhatsApp use, stating that frequent use of the app for official channels could breach transparency and accountability requirements.

Meta remains not only committed to retaining WhatsApp encryption, but also eventually rolling out E2EE to Messenger and Instagram as well.

The new features are expected to be rolled out imminently worldwide, on both WhatsApp mobile and desktop.

IT Pro has approached WhatsApp for comment.

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced new free cloud-based API services for WhatsApp, as the company looks to drive business adoption of the messaging platform.

The new developer offering is essentially a cloud-based version of the company’s WhatsApp Business API for the enterprise, first introduced back in August 2018.

Now, WhatsApp Cloud API is aiming to drive adoption of the platform among smaller businesses around the world, with an attractive integration time of just minutes rather than weeks.

Speaking at Meta’s Conversations event this week, Zuckerberg said this will enable businesses to connect with more potential customers in a way that is convenient for them.

“The best business experiences meet people where they are,” he said in his keynote speech. “Already, more than 1 billion users connect with a business account across our messaging services every week. They’re reaching out for help, to find products and services and to buy anything from big-ticket items to everyday goods.”

Meta added that businesses will only be able to message people through the platform if they have requested to be contacted – meaning users won’t need to worry about unsolicited communications.

There will also be a new optional premium service which will offer additional paid features for businesses. Still in development, these further capabilities will include the ability to manage up to 10 devices, as well as customized click-to-chat links that can be integrated into external company websites.

Ultimately, companies leveraging the WhatsApp Cloud API can build on top of WhatsApp’s foundations to provide a customised experience suited to customers, avoiding large server expenses in the process.

“Any business or developer can easily access our service, build directly on top of WhatsApp to customize their experience and speed up their response time to customers by using our secure WhatsApp Cloud API hosted by Meta,” Zuckerberg said.

“And this is an important step to help more businesses connect with people and help more people message the businesses that they want to support—big and small.”

WhatsApp has secured permission in Ireland’s High Court to challenge the Data Protection Commission’s (DPC) decision to fine the company €225 million in August over its lack of transparency in the way it shares user data.

Justice Anthony Barr agreed to grant the Facebook-owned company permission to bring its challenge, and adjourned the matter to next month, as reported by The Journal.

WhatsApp is aiming to quash the DPC’s decision and seek declarations from the court, which include that certain parts of the 2018 Data Protection Act are invalid and unconstitutional and are incompatible with Ireland’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The DPC issued WhatsApp with a penalty in August, which was approved by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), after a two-year investigation which found the company had been unclear in the way it processed and shared data with Facebook, as well as between WhatsApp and other Facebook-owned companies.

The investigation found that the company violated Article 14 of GDPR, which states that data controllers must provide data subjects with sufficient information about the way data is collected and processed.

The DPC’s draft findings from last December outlined the fine should be between €30 million and €50 million before the EDPB issued a binding decision in July with a “clear instruction” for the watchdog to increase its provisional fine. The DPC raised it several times higher, and issued requirements for WhatsApp to take steps to improve its GDPR compliance as well.

In September, campaigners claimed that the DPC was failing to process a surging backlog of hundreds of GDPR cases against big tech firms which was hindering pan-European data protection enforcement as a result. In the three years between May 2018 and May 2021 the data regulator only sent four draft decisions to the EPDB for examination and approval.

The report called the country “the big EU bottleneck” and said EU GDPR enforcement is “paralysed” due to Irenalnd’s failure to deliver draft decisions on cross-border cases.

Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday that the Facebook Company will now be known as 'Meta', with its focus now directed towards bringing the CEO's metaverse vision to life.

The parent company of Facebook, which also covers brands like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Oculus, was officially given a new name at its annual conference Connect 2021, forming a more distinctive umbrella company bearing closer resemblance to the likes of Alphabet.

While still overseeing its portfolio of global brands, Meta will work towards bringing Mark Zuckerberg's much publicised vision of the metaverse to life. The Meta CEO claims the "metaverse will feel like a hybrid of today’s online social experiences, sometimes expanded into three dimensions or projected into the physical world. It will let you share immersive experiences with other people even when you can’t be together — and do things together you couldn’t do in the physical world".

Zuckerberg also said the metaverse will be a more immersive social media experience, where new environments can be built, virtual and augmented reality will take centre stage, and users will be able to do "almost anything they can imagine". Examples include playing games, working with multiple displays, watching TV, making personal video calls, and even attending concerts with friends.

All of this will be achieved using 'holograms' - virtual representations of physical things that users will no longer have to buy, like TVs and multiple work monitors, as mentioned previously.

Industry reaction

Amid Facebook's ongoing reputational crisis following the leak of 10,000 documents by former employee Frances Haugen, which led to a number of disparaging stories against the company, industry reaction to the news has been mixed.

Some experts feel the timing of the rebrand may be seen as particularly convenient given recent events plaguing the company's reputation.

“While it’ll help alleviate confusion by distinguishing Facebook’s parent company from its founding app, a name change doesn’t suddenly erase the systemic issues plaguing the company," said Mike Proulx, VP and research director at Forrester. "If Meta doesn’t address its issues beyond a defensive and superficial altitude, those same issues will occupy the metaverse.”

“The success of Meta’s metaverse strategy all comes down to trust," he added. "Forrester found that less than half — 41% — of online adults surveyed in the US say they trust Facebook (the company). In the UK it’s just 26%. If the majority of online adults don’t trust Facebook as a social media company, why would they trust it as a metaverse company? Without trust, Meta’s metaverse plans are already at risk.”

Others feel the rebrand will not be enough to restore customer trust in the company, especially given its history with the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

“Big tech companies are taking steps towards consent-led data strategies, such as embracing first-party data and the phasing out of third-party cookies," said Tom Bianchi, VP Marketing, EMEA, at Acquia. "But, given the scale of the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the recent whistleblower revelations, it’s clear Facebook has a long way to go before it regains consumer confidence.

"Along with its redirection, Facebook needs to ensure that the positive steps it’s taking to improve data privacy and reduce misinformation need to be properly promoted to its users. While the metaverse is an exciting prospect and one that deserves column inches, Facebook needs to focus on rebuilding its foundations first and foremost."

The news was also met with mockery from certain corners of social media, with both individuals and big businesses competing for 'likes' at the umbrella company's expense.

Some pointed to the fact Meta couldn't secure an optimal handle on Instagram, a platform it owns, having to settle for @wearemeta.

Others took aim at the word 'Meta' itself, with the Wendy's fast food chain changing its account name to 'Meat' after many users claimed to have misread the word on first inspection.

A more positive outlook

Meta's rebrand seems to have made some progress in warming some corners of the industry. For example, prominent consumer technology leaker Jon Prosser announced that he was a fan of the Meta rebranding to his 400k+ following, adding that the Connect 2021 flagship announcement changed the way he felt about the CEO.

The future vision for a commute-less, largely hardware-less world where people can both work and play in a convenient, interactive environment is one that may excite some businesses too, especially now companies are in the early stages of exploring post-pandemic hybrid and fully remote approaches to work.

However, the main focus on the metaverse is the social element and how the gaming world will collide with social. The metaverse has the opportunity to overhaul the way in which people socialise virtually, which may not be a bad thing according to some.

"The 'Metaverse' doubters will be having to rethink after the Facebook rebrand," said Roxanne Harley, director of client strategy at Azerion. "As the gaming and social worlds combine, this is only a further indication that virtual worlds are here to stay and are on a trajectory to completely shake up how brands will interact and engage with audiences."

WhatsApp has launched a limited beta test of a new feature that will allow users to run the chat app on up to four different devices simultaneously.

The new feature, which the company claims has required an infrastructure overhaul, will support WhatsApp on a mobile phone and four other non-phone devices, such as a tablet and desktop PC.

To achieve this, the company said it had made significant changes to the platform's architecture for it to work across multiple devices while also supporting end to end encryption.

WhatsApp already has a feature which allows the app to be ported to a desktop machine - be it macOS, Windows, or Portal - but that keeps the user's phone as the "source of truth" or primary device. This is where the desktop maintains a persistent connection with the phone and simply mirrors content from the mobile on screen. If the smartphone runs out of battery, this connection is lost.

To get around this, and maintain its encryption standards, WhatsApp has changed the way it stores user information on its servers and the way it uses identity keys. Previously, keys were attributed to just the user, however WhatsApp servers will now maintain a map of each person's account via their devices.

Now, when a user wants to send a message, they will get their device list keys from the server. In order to reduce the number of times they need to perform identity verifications, WhatsApp has added a new system, called Automatic Device Verification, that allows the user's devices to automatically establish trust.

End-to-end encryption is achieved on WhatsApp by placing both sender and receiver into a "pairwise encrypted session" - essentially a secure data plane. For multi-device communications, WhatsApp is adopting a 'client-fanout' approach where the sender encrypts and transmits to each of the receiver's different devices.

Messages are not stored on the server after they are delivered, according to WhatsApp, and groups will still use the same scalable Sender Key encryption scheme from the Signal Protocol.

Adding new devices will still be done through the mobile app, with QR codes, though it will now need biometric authentication. Users will also be able to see which devices are in their accounts and remotely log out of them if needed.

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WhatsApp users have been warned of a scam that involves a hard-to-spot malicious message that appears to come from someone on your contact list.

The scam works when hackers send a user a code via text on their smartphone, followed by a WhatsApp message from someone on their contact list. When the “friend” asks the recipient to share the code, the hacker can easily access their WhatsApp account.

Researchers observed similar attacks earlier this year, but it seems users are once more in hackers’ sights.

Burak Agca, a security engineer at Lookout, told ITPro the incident reflects how easy it is for attackers to acquire users' first factor of authentication, username, and password.

“Messaging apps present a number of challenges to individuals and corporate data security. The rise of significant data breaches across high profile organizations is providing threat actors with vast pools of user accounts to exploit via phishing attacks on messaging apps using those stolen credentials,” Agca said.

“Added to that, we see seismic events like the pandemic driving mobile device usage, and high-profile incidents such as the personal information of members of Parliament from the UK Conservative party app in recent years, further exacerbating the issue.”

Agca added that iOS and Android devices had harbored a significant security gap recently, creating a lack of protection from exposure to malicious links across emails, web pages, apps, SMS, and WhatsApp.

“That gap led to a proliferation of 'surveillanceware' delivered via exploitation of messaging server infrastructure, chained with mobile app and operating system vulnerabilities, resulting in a catastrophic failure in the onboard security measures in place. On average, 40% of versions of WhatsApp used by enterprises are vulnerable. That represents a significant gap in mobile security where patch management solutions focused on mobile devices are not in place,” said Agca.

The news comes as Check Point researchers warned of a new type of malware in the Google Play store that can automatically reply to all incoming WhatsApp messages with messages containing malicious links or text.

By replying to incoming WhatsApp messages with a payload from a command-and-control (C&C) server, a hacker could distribute phishing attacks, spread further malware, spread false information, or steal credentials and data from users’ WhatsApp accounts and conversations.

IT departments have long-struggled with bring your own device (BYOD) policies, especially when it comes to personal mobile phones being used for remote work – not least during the coronavirus pandemic.

Such a dilemma has been thrown into stark focus thanks to a recent change to messaging giant WhatsApp's terms and conditions, which saw users being asked to share certain aspects of data with parent company, Facebook, if they still wished to use the platform.

While this change won't affect those in the UK or Europe specifically, a pop-up notification still appeared on the app for everyone – bringing fears over the security and privacy of BYOD again to the fore.

In many parts of the world, WhatsApp rivals Signal and Telegram saw a sudden surge in new users. However, given they raise similar issues for businesses to WhatsApp, is this situation a timely reminder for IT department s whose employees routinely use messaging apps on their personal devices to "talk" work?

Rowan Troy, Cyber Security Consultant at managed IT provider Littlefish, says organisations should “exercise caution” when allowing the use of consumer communication tools such as WhatsApp.

"We would call it 'shadow IT' because there is no way for central IT departments to monitor what is transmitted through the application. If a company wishes to allow the use of WhatsApp, careful consideration should be given to what, via company policy, users can send.

"The new data-sharing agreement between WhatsApp and Facebook might increase the risk of personal data being shared that contradicts company policy or compliance legislation relevant to the organisation."

Robert Rutherford, CEO of QuoStar, suggests one solution is to migrate employees to platforms that offer "usability and business grade security and control" such as Slack and Microsoft Teams.

"WhatsApp is not suitable for business communications. Even if devices used are company-owned, the security and privacy threats are manifold," he adds

Can WhatsApp usage for work ever be rolled back?

For many people, their personal daily communications with family and friends are ingrained in apps, which raises the question of how easy (or, more likely, difficult) it would be to transition work communications away.

Shifting such perceptions means difficult conversations, says Jonathan Phillips, head of consulting at SimplyCommunicate, a consultancy for those who work in internal comms.

"It's a hard conversation to have as there are so many open questions,” he says. “Foremost, it's not possible to know exactly how information, or what information, is being shared.

"The emphasis for our IT teams needs to be on working with internal communications colleagues to help people understand the drawbacks and potential impact [that] using shadow communications tools can have on the business."

Ironically, WhatsApp's especially secure end-to-end encryption can represent one of the biggest headaches.

Ian Jennings, co-founder of BlueFort Security, explains: "The challenge for IT teams is that it's very secure, possibly too secure. What this means from an enterprise security perspective is that anything sent via WhatsApp simply cannot be seen by the IT team.

"Not only could this be a potential data leak prevention (DLP) issue, but compliance questions could be raised too."

He adds: "A potential alternative could be to use iMessage on company-owned devices or within a mobile device management (MDM) solution. This approach combines a company-owned device with a company-owned ID, giving oversight, but also ensuring confidentiality."

Are professional opt-in networks the answer to this problem?

One British app trying to challenge the status quo is Guild, an independent and ad-free messaging platform for professional groups, networks and communities.

Early last year its research found 41% of professionals admitted to using WhatsApp for work purposes, rising to 53% for the under 45s.

Founder Ashley Friedlein, who previously created digital marketing best practice company Econsultancy, believes that in many organisations, policies on the correct use of messaging, and which messaging apps are allowed, either doesn't exist, lacks clarity, or is perilously weak – making it almost impossible to keep track of who is in what groups on apps such as WhatsApp.

"You can’t revoke access to business information, so if an employee leaves a company, they will still have access to potentially sensitive data, and there is nothing you can do about it,” he says.

"While a user can be removed if you have the right permissions, all the messages they received or sent while in the group will be stored locally on their device. It is also possible to make a backup of conversations, which then puts the business at further risk from that data being accessed by bad actors across multiple locations.

"Businesses have a duty to record conversations that their employees/business have in case of problems like harassment and legal challenges. If there is no audit trail of the communications then you have no idea what is going on, and so are being negligent."

However, Keven Knight, COO of Sy4Security, suggests the genie may now be out of the bottle. “As a business should [you] be concerned? Yes and no. With a remote workforce it’s reasonable to assume people are using these platforms more, so the risks of sharing information and not knowing about this risk is still there.

"But as a business in the modern world, where people can operate these on their own devices, especially when working remotely, can [you] truly enforce a solution that bans them?"

IT departments have long-struggled with bring your own device (BYOD) policies, especially when it comes to personal mobile phones being used for remote work – not least during the coronavirus pandemic.

Such a dilemma has been thrown into stark focus thanks to a recent change to messaging giant WhatsApp's terms and conditions, which saw users being asked to share certain aspects of data with parent company, Facebook, if they still wished to use the platform.

While this change won't affect those in the UK or Europe specifically, a pop-up notification still appeared on the app for everyone – bringing fears over the security and privacy of BYOD again to the fore.

In many parts of the world, WhatsApp rivals Signal and Telegram saw a sudden surge in new users. However, given they raise similar issues for businesses to WhatsApp, is this situation a timely reminder for IT department s whose employees routinely use messaging apps on their personal devices to "talk" work?

Rowan Troy, Cyber Security Consultant at managed IT provider Littlefish, says organisations should “exercise caution” when allowing the use of consumer communication tools such as WhatsApp.

"We would call it 'shadow IT' because there is no way for central IT departments to monitor what is transmitted through the application. If a company wishes to allow the use of WhatsApp, careful consideration should be given to what, via company policy, users can send.

"The new data-sharing agreement between WhatsApp and Facebook might increase the risk of personal data being shared that contradicts company policy or compliance legislation relevant to the organisation."

Robert Rutherford, CEO of QuoStar, suggests one solution is to migrate employees to platforms that offer "usability and business grade security and control" such as Slack and Microsoft Teams.

"WhatsApp is not suitable for business communications. Even if devices used are company-owned, the security and privacy threats are manifold," he adds

Can WhatsApp usage for work ever be rolled back?

For many people, their personal daily communications with family and friends are ingrained in apps, which raises the question of how easy (or, more likely, difficult) it would be to transition work communications away.

Shifting such perceptions means difficult conversations, says Jonathan Phillips, head of consulting at SimplyCommunicate, a consultancy for those who work in internal comms.

"It's a hard conversation to have as there are so many open questions,” he says. “Foremost, it's not possible to know exactly how information, or what information, is being shared.

"The emphasis for our IT teams needs to be on working with internal communications colleagues to help people understand the drawbacks and potential impact [that] using shadow communications tools can have on the business."

Ironically, WhatsApp's especially secure end-to-end encryption can represent one of the biggest headaches.

Ian Jennings, co-founder of BlueFort Security, explains: "The challenge for IT teams is that it's very secure, possibly too secure. What this means from an enterprise security perspective is that anything sent via WhatsApp simply cannot be seen by the IT team.

"Not only could this be a potential data leak prevention (DLP) issue, but compliance questions could be raised too."

He adds: "A potential alternative could be to use iMessage on company-owned devices or within a mobile device management (MDM) solution. This approach combines a company-owned device with a company-owned ID, giving oversight, but also ensuring confidentiality."

Are professional opt-in networks the answer to this problem?

One British app trying to challenge the status quo is Guild, an independent and ad-free messaging platform for professional groups, networks and communities.

Early last year its research found 41% of professionals admitted to using WhatsApp for work purposes, rising to 53% for the under 45s.

Founder Ashley Friedlein, who previously created digital marketing best practice company Econsultancy, believes that in many organisations, policies on the correct use of messaging, and which messaging apps are allowed, either doesn't exist, lacks clarity, or is perilously weak – making it almost impossible to keep track of who is in what groups on apps such as WhatsApp.

"You can’t revoke access to business information, so if an employee leaves a company, they will still have access to potentially sensitive data, and there is nothing you can do about it,” he says.

"While a user can be removed if you have the right permissions, all the messages they received or sent while in the group will be stored locally on their device. It is also possible to make a backup of conversations, which then puts the business at further risk from that data being accessed by bad actors across multiple locations.

"Businesses have a duty to record conversations that their employees/business have in case of problems like harassment and legal challenges. If there is no audit trail of the communications then you have no idea what is going on, and so are being negligent."

However, Keven Knight, COO of Sy4Security, suggests the genie may now be out of the bottle. “As a business should [you] be concerned? Yes and no. With a remote workforce it’s reasonable to assume people are using these platforms more, so the risks of sharing information and not knowing about this risk is still there.

"But as a business in the modern world, where people can operate these on their own devices, especially when working remotely, can [you] truly enforce a solution that bans them?"

CEQUENS, a leading global communications platform as a service (CPaaS) provider, today announced it has entered a deal with WhatsApp.

Through the new partnership, CEQUENS will provide WhatsApp with several chat solutions and APIs to help businesses enhance their communication, including its latest CEQUENS Chat.

CEQUENS Chat is an omnichannel web interface that allows brands to engage with customers on multiple or preferred messaging platforms, including WhatsApp Business, Facebook Messenger, Apple Chat, Google Chat, SMS and more.

The WhatApp and CEQUENS API integration will present a two-way communication channel for businesses that offer multiple inbound and outbound engagement mechanisms, such as templates and sessions.

"We always embrace the highest standards and use cutting-edge technology when it comes to communication," says Karim Khorshed, CEQUENS founder and CEO. "Becoming a global WhatsApp Business Solution Provider is a significant step forward for our customers. We now have the tools to further promote and deploy an all-inclusive platform that caters to every industry in the most natural way."

"The telecommunications industry is an important adopter of all digital solutions including WhatsApp Business. We seek to provide the service to several sectors including retail, e-commerce, banking, logistics, and travel.

"Along with CEQUENS Chat, WhatsApp Business is a tried and tested productivity tool," said Wael Ali, chief commercial officer at CEQUENS.

WhatsApp, the popular messaging app, is preparing to release a new feature called Disappearing Messages. The company has recently updated its FAQ page to include the feature, hinting it’ll go live soon. Disappearing Messages will automatically erase messages after seven days when enabled.

The feature won’t automatically run on all chats, so you must enable it where you want it. You also don’t have the option to change the seven-day period.

Keep in mind that WhatsApp will also have a Save to Camera Roll feature that automatically saves a screenshot of each message to the user's device. So, if you want to erase all traces of the deleted messages, you must disable the Save to Camera Roll feature.

How does this help you? Self-deleting messages can add a level of security to business conversations. It erases potentially sensitive information from your chat history, making it less likely to fall into the wrong hands if you misplace your phone or it’s stolen.

In addition to Disappearing Messages, WhatsApp has a number of other security-focused features, including encrypted multiple device access, secure video calls and encrypted cloud backups.

The move comes as competing apps like Signal and Telegram release similar features, though they include customizable expiration times. There’s no word as to whether or not WhatsApp plans to add that feature.

WhatsApp users are susceptible to shoulder surfing attacks due to the way the service restores accounts to new devices, with hackers able to compromise individuals using just their phone number.

Messages sent through WhatsApp are protected through end-to-end encryption, meaning its incredibly challenging for hackers to intercept and spy on communications data.

However, a security expert has demonstrated how criminals may be able to compromise users by downloading their accounts to third-party devices.

Users logging into WhatsApp on a new device must first acquire a unique code that’s sent to them via text message. This code, once entered into the app, will validate the phone and restore account settings and history from a backup.

Should hackers manage to obtain a victim’s phone number, they can download WhatsApp on a clean device and enter this to request an account restoration code be sent via text message. Should they be within spying distance of the victim’s smartphone, they can obtain that code as and when it’s sent, according to ESET security specialist Jake Moore.

From there, by simply entering the unique code into their clean device, they can fully compromise the victim’s WhatsApp account.

Moore said he devised the theory and decided to test it on a colleague, who often finds themselves at the end of his social engineering experiments.

“Recently, I threw into our conversation that it’s always a good idea to back up your WhatsApp chats, just in case she didn’t, as I wouldn’t want her to lose them forever,” Moore said. “A few days later, I used my spare phone and downloaded the app. It requested my phone number to verify the device it was to be installed on.”

“It wasn’t long before my colleague left her desk to make a coffee, leaving her phone in view on her desk, so I entered her phone number into my new WhatsApp account.

“Her phone instantly received a message (on silent) and I walked past her desk mentally noting the code. I typed it in the verification field on my spare phone. Et voilà - I had control of her account.”

While employees and IT teams may take all the precautions in the world to guard against network-based cyber attacks, they may find themselves vulnerable to in-person shoulder surfing attacks.

It’s a huge risk when in the office or even out and about. Moore, for instance, highlighted how likely we are to leave our phones by our desks while in the office, or on the table in a restaurant when dining with others.

Moore has recommended WhatsApp users guard against the attack by turning off previews for SMS messages, and, more importantly, never leave their devices unattended.

Moreover, WhatsApp created its own two-factor authentication process, which can be turned on by heading into the settings menu. Once enabled, the app will ask users for a custom PIN number at random times when they open the app.

Brian Acton, one of the co-founders of Facebook-owned WhatsApp, has taken to Twitter to advise his followers to delete their Facebook accounts amid the scandal of 50 million people's Facebook profiles allegedly being misused to influence the outcome of the 2016 US election.

In a brief message, Acton, who has almost 26,000 followers, added his voice to the #deletefacebook call to action.

It is his first tweet in almost a year and has garnered a wide range of responses. While most are positive, some have pointed out that he profited personally from selling WhatsApp to Facebook in 2014 (the total transaction value was $19 billion). Following the sale, he stayed with Facebook as part of WhatsApp for a number of years, before joining the non-profit Signal Foundation, dedicated to open source privacy-focused communication, in September 2017.

Acton does, however, seem to have followed his own advice as IT Pro could find no active profile for him on Facebook at the time of writing.

Calls for users to delete their Facebook account have arisen following a data-sharing scandal that broke earlier this week. Cambridge Analytica, a UK-based data mining and analytics firm, allegedly used information taken from around 50 million Facebook users' profiles without their consent, after their friends on the social media platform used apps allowed the creator (normally a third-party associated with Cambridge Analytica) to access not only their own data but that of their connections. A whistleblower claimed the information was used to build sophisticated models to target US voters during the presidential election in order to persuade them to vote for Donald Trump.

It's possible that the data mining may have been in breach of the Data Protection Act, even though it may not have broken Facebook's rules with regards to data collection under its API terms and conditions as they were in 2015, when the incident took place.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is now facing calls from both the US Congress and UK MPs to appear before official committees to answer questions on the revelations.

WhatsApp recently agreed to suspend any sharing of personal data between itself and its parent company after the UK data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office, said it had no legal grounds to share such information.

WhatsApp has been handed an ultimatum by the French data protection watchdog that says it has one month to bring its data sharing policies in line with the country's privacy laws or it will face a substantial fine.

French data protection authority CNIL revealed on Monday that it had told WhatsApp it needed to review its procedures around the sharing of data with its parent company Facebook, particularly those linked to current policies for collecting consent from users.

CNIL said the social media site had failed in its obligation to work with the authority, and had no legal basis to share data with Facebook.

While the use of data sharing for security reasons is accepted by the French authority, the sharing of data for the use of improving application features, known as "business intelligence", can't be justified, according to today's statement.

"The President and the two Vice-Presidents of the CNIL have decided to publish this notice to ensure the highest level of transparency on the massive data transmission from a large number of users of WhatsApp to Facebook Inc. and thus alert to the need to put people in a position to maintain control of their data," a CNIL statement read.

"If the company does not comply with this formal notice within the time limit, the President may appoint a rapporteur who will propose if necessary to the restricted training of the CNIL, responsible for punishing breaches of the law, to impose a penalty."

WhatsApp has been locked in a regulatory battle with the European Union since it first announced it would be sharing user data with its parent company Facebook in 2016. The move raised immediate concerns among EU authorities that the process was automatic and that users were not being asked to give their consent.

WhatsApp was slapped with a warning in October 2016 after EU officials believed the company had done little to alleviate fears over its data sharing processes. A letter produced by the Article 29 Working Party, urged WhatsApp to halt its plans to share data until "appropriate legal protections can be assured".

The EU Commission would eventually hit Facebook with a 10 million fine in May this year for providing "misleading information" during the investigation into the company's acquisition of WhatsApp in 2014. Facebook had repeatedly told regulators that it would be impossible to automatically link Facebook profiles with WhatsApp accounts for the purpose of data sharing, something that was eventually implemented in 2016.

Today, the CNIL said that WhatsApp had failed to secure user consent for the sharing of data for "business intelligence" purposes and that while sharing of security data appeared to be fundamental to the functioning of the application, the sharing of data to improve features was not essential.

The CNIL added that "the only way to refuse the data transfer for "business intelligence" purpose is to uninstall the application".

WhatsApp has been repeatedly asked to provide a sample of data from French users, however the company has so far refused, as "the company has indicated that it is unable to provide this information to the extent that, being United States, it considers itself subject only to the legislation of that country," according to the statement.

While the ongoing dispute has so far only involved minor fines, the impending changes under GDPR will mean French data protection authorities will be able to issue sanctions of up to 4% of a company's global turnover.

Image: Bigstock

The government has reportedly accused WhatsApp of creating a "black hole" in security intelligence by refusing to give it access to people's encrypted messages.

This is according to Sky News, which quoted an anonymous security source, who claimed that terrorists are "frequent users" of encrypted apps because they know no one can read their messages.

"It is crucially important that we can access their communications - and when we can't, it can provide a black hole for investigators," the source added.

Other platforms such as iMessage and Telegram also protect messages using encryption and do not allow the government access to the information.

WhatsApp does, however, allow authorities to see other information such as an account name, when the account was created, the last know IP address used to access the service and the email address associated with each account.

However, WhatsApp made it clear it wants to protect its users, and this means messages must stay encrypted and hidden from authorities, just as they should remain protected from potential criminals.

"Naturally, people have asked what end-to-end encryption means for the work of law enforcement," the company explains on a statement on its website. "WhatsApp appreciates the work that law enforcement agencies do to keep people safe around the world.

"We carefully review, validate, and respond to law enforcement requests based on applicable law and policy, and we prioritise responses to emergency requests."

The news comes after Theresa May stressed the importance for technology companies to do more to help the government identify security threats following the Parsons Green tube station bomb attack last week.

WhatsApp has started testing a business version of its chat app that will allow customers to contact companies directly through instant messages, a move that will likely result in monetisation of the platform.

We reported last year that WhatsApp had announced a new roadmap following its 11.2 billion takeover by Facebook, signalling a shift in focus and dramatic changes to its terms and conditions.

Part of that shift was a consideration to monetise the platform for the first time, something that, until the involvement of Facebook, WhatsApp had been staunchly against.

When considering the introduction of sponsored ads on the platform in 2012, the company famously produced a blog post that described advertising as a "disruption of aesthetics" and an "insult to your intelligence".

However, it appears WhatsApp is now much more open to the idea of charging larger companies for using its mobile application, as well as testing new features for a free version of its chat platform for smaller businesses, according to a blog post on Tuesday.

While many smaller businesses are already using WhatsApp to communicate with customers, such as a shop taking an order, customers have complained that they don't always know whether the account they are chatting with is the business it claims to be.

"The way this happens now on WhatsApp is pretty rudimentary," the company said in the post. "We've heard stories of shopkeepers who use WhatsApp to stay in touch with hundreds of customers from a single smartphone, and from people who are unsure about whether or not a business on WhatsApp is authentic."

WhatsApp will address those concerns by allowing businesses to create verified accounts on the platform, drawing inspiration from Twitter.

A larger enterprise version of the app, designed for companies with a global base of customers, such as airlines, e-commerce sites and banks, is planned to be a paid application, according to COO Matt Idema, speaking to the Wall Street Journal.

Firms will be able to use the platform to send notifications to customers, including flight times, delivery confirmations and status updates, although it's unclear whether this version will feature a means to chat directly.

WhatsApp has also confirmed to TechCrunch that "businesses will only be able to contact people who have provided their phone number and agreed to be contacted by the business over WhatsApp".

It's unclear from WhatsApp's brief blog post what the precise scope of the test will be, and which businesses will be involved. IT Pro has approached WhatsApp for clarification.

However, the company said it would be listening carefully to feedback during the test phase and that it would keep users informed as to when these tools will become widely available.

Image: Bigstock

WhatsApp appears to now be running as normal after suffering a massive outage yesterday, affecting millions of users around the world.

The Facebook-owned social networking app was knocked offline at 4.50pm (ET) on Wednesday, with users unable to access the service for several hours.

WhatsApp has now said the app is now back online, but has given no explanation as to what caused the drop in service. According to a spokesperson speaking to Business Insider, WhatsApp itself caused the outage rather than an external party.

"Earlier today, WhatsApp users in all parts of the world were unable to access WhatsApp for a few hours," said a company spokesperson in an email to IT Pro. "We have now fixed the issue and apologise for the inconvenience."

The company has not specified how many users were affected, but users in India, Canada, the US, Brazil, the UK, and France reported being unable to start the app, and those that did were stuck on a screen with a message saying 'connecting'.

It also affected major operating systems, including Apple's iOS, Google's Android, and Microsoft's Windows mobile.

Although it only lasted a few hours, a global outage of this kind is significant for WhatsApp, as the company now has over one billion users worldwide. The app, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion, has become an essential tool for communication and commerce in many parts of the world.

Facebook has pledged to stop revenge porn being published on its network, including Facebook itself, Instagram and Messenger.

The company's innovation will stop people from being able to post content after it's been reported by other members of the community, so if someone flags something as revenge porn, Facebook will analyse it to see if it includes the person reporting it, shows any sexual act and where the picture was taken.

If the social network thinks it has been published in a vengeful way, the person posting the image(s) will be blocked from using Facebook. They can appeal against the decision, but this will be then assessed by Facebook's community operations team, who will have the final say.

The company will then implement photo recognition software to monitor the image and will block any attempts to re-distribute it.

"We are constantly looking to build and improve the tools that we offer and it became very apparent to us that this was a problem occurring across many regions that created unique harm," Antigone Davis, Facebook's global head of safety, told BBC News.

"This is a first step and we will be looking to build on the technology to see if we can prevent the initial share of the content."

For the timebeing, WhatsApp won't be included in the measures due to the nature of its end-to-end encryption. However, Davis said the company would keep trying to find a way to word around this without undermining the encryption.

Campaigners have praised Facebook's actions.

"It's a huge step forward," Laura Higgins, founder of the UK's Revenge Porn Helpline, commented. "Quite often these images are posted on social media as part of a domestic situation in which someone is trying to get at their target and their nearest and dearest. One of the greatest challenges is to stop people re-uploading the content."

Main image credit: Bigstock

WhatsApp may be about to test peer to peer payments among 200 million users, according to reports.

A report from Indian publication The Ken (via TechCrunch) claims that "Whatsapp plan[s] to use UPI, a cross-bank payment system backed by the government, to begin [to] enable payments between users within the next six months." The trial would take place in India, where WhatsApp users number 200 million.

A job posting on the WhatsApp website showed a vacancy for a "Digital Transactions Lead, India", where responsibilities include to "collaborate with banks to resolve WhatsApp user issues" and "Help scale global support for digital transactions on WhatsApp".

Facebook already allows you to transfer money via the Messenger and now has set its sights on bringing the service to WhatsApp's reported 1.2 billion global users but will apparently test the service out in India first.

Digital payments are reportedly on the rise in India due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to withdraw a number of banknotes last November and the government is encouraging digital payment services as well. Swedish app Truecaller has its eye on the market too as it launched a mobile payment service in the country last week.

India has attracted other companies too, with Apple recently saying it would start iPhone production in India.

IT Pro has approached WhatsApp for comment.

The European Commission is planning to introduce new measures that will provide a backdoor to application encryption, making it easier for security agencies to access data on services like WhatsApp.

EU Justice Commissioner Vra Jourov made the proposals during a public speech on Tuesday, following calls from interior ministers for tougher crackdowns on social media apps that hide user communications.

The plans would focus on "three or four options", including legislation and voluntary agreements that would enable police forces to demand the turn over of user data with a "swift, reliable response", according to EU policy website Euractiv.

The voluntary measures would act as a "quick solution" as EU negotiations on permanent legislation could take years to complete, although a slow introduction of non-legislative proposals should reveal any pushback likely to come from large US social media companies like Google and Facebook.

Eventually the proposals should also allow police forces to request and gain access to data from companies registered outside of their jurisdictions.

Vra Jourov said: "At the moment, prosecutors, judges, also police and law enforcement authorities, are dependent on whether or not providers will voluntarily provide the access and the evidence. This is not the way we can facilitate and ensure the security of Europeans, being dependent on some voluntary action."

Since that declaration, Germany's interior minister Thomas de Maizire, and French interior minister Matthias Fekl have also approached MEPs lobbying for police have the same legal rights around data as they do with access to telecoms companies, according to Euractiv.

This is the latest in a string of EU crackdowns on social media services. The Commission recently announced it would be taking action against the likes of Google, Facebook and Twitter to "make sure social media companies comply with EU consumer rules", with proposals that would force companies to make service terms more transparent for their customers, or risk fines of up to $53 million.

The news comes after home secretary Amber Rudd said social messaging services should be compelled to hand over user data, in a response to reports that the attacker involved in last week's terrorist attack in London was a user of Facebook-owned WhatsApp. Rudd argued that social media "can and must do more" to remove extremist content online.

However the tech industry has struck back, labeling Rudd's comments as "deeply misguided", providing an overly simplistic view of encryption. Although her comments sparked mockery on social media, many industry experts have raised concerns over the continued push by government to compromise data security for unrestricted access.

David Emm, principal security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, argues that proposals for "see through" encryption pose some real dangers to user security.

"Creating a 'backdoor' to decipher encrypted traffic is akin to leaving a key to your front door under the mat outside," said Emm. "Your intention is for it to be used only by those you have told about it. But if someone else discovers it, you'd be in trouble."

"If a government backdoor were to fall into the wrong hands, cybercriminals, foreign governments or anyone else might also be able to inspect encrypted traffic - thereby undermining not only personal privacy, but corporate or national security. It would effectively create a zero-day (i.e. unpatched) vulnerability in the application," added Emm.

It seems that encryption has been firmly established as the whipping boy du jour for pearl-clutching, public-safety panic merchants. Specifically, it's encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp and iMessage that have found themselves in the crosshairs.

Following last week's terror attack by the Houses of Parliament, it has emerged that the killer was communicating with someone via WhatsApp in the moments preceding his assault. It has been speculated although not confirmed that he may have been in contact with someone who conspired with him to plan the attack, although this afternoon the Met Police have said there's no evidence he was directed by Islamic State.

This has fuelled fresh calls to severely weaken or outright ban the use of encryption by such services to secure their messages, echoing last year's fierce debate over whether or not Apple should hack the iPhone of the San Bernardino killer. It's worth noting at this point that even though a third-party company did eventually hack into Syed Farook's phone, there is no indication that it offered any actionable intelligence.

Nevertheless, home secretary Amber Rudd and other Tory MPs are using this tragedy as an excuse to castigate and demonise encryption, with talk of coercing tech companies into installing backdoors into their code. It's not the first time the government has proposed this, either; it was included in early versions of the Snooper's Charter, but was ultimately dropped from the bill.

Naturally, the idea of messing with encryption has got the tech sector up in arms. Critics have called it "deeply misguided" and other (less printable) things. Supporters of the plan say that spies need to be able to read the messages of terror suspects, but experts are queuing up to tell Rudd and the rest of the anti-crypto club that technology simply doesn't work that way.

In an exchange that would be funny if it weren't so deeply depressing, Conservative MP Nadine Dorries made the case that WhatsApp should "develop a terrorist related exception" to encryption technology - presumably this is some kind of Java-based magic wand that would allow GCHQ to hack only the baddies'.

This, along with Rudd's laughable quote that we need people who "understand the necessary hashtags", betrays a deep lack of technological knowledge throughout government. Of course, one would hope that the country's elected leaders have better things to do than immersing themselves in the finer points of C++ and Python, but on the other hand, having one of the country's top ministers saying things like "we don't want to go into the cloud" is embarrassing, especially when she clearly doesn't have the faintest idea what it means.

The experts are right, of course; if government spooks can read the WhatsApp messages of one terrorist, they can read the messages of everyone, from the 12-year-old at the bus stop all the way to the Pope. (This is assuming he doesn't use a rival app, of course - PopeChat, perhaps.)

This is troubling for a number of reasons, most notably from a privacy standpoint. Naturally, the public has been assured that they won't be covertly spied on by the intelligence services, who pinkie-promise that they'd only look at terrorists' communications. We're expected to take this on faith, but incidents like the Snowden leaks suggest that perhaps the government's methods aren't always unimpeachable.

We've also got to consider what future governments could do with any anti-encryption laws. If an anti-democratic, fascistic party found itself in power, for example, these laws could be very easily used to identify and round up immigrants, LGBTQ people and other undesirables'. It's a lot easier to grant powers than it is take them away and this goes double when applied to governments.

Here's the thing, though: aside from the many legal, political and ethical issues with installing backdoors into services like WhatsApp, the biggest problem is practical. The fact is, there's simply no way to block the use of encryption on a technical level. Theresa May could force WhatsApp to stop encrypting its messages, but how long do you think it would take terrorists to simply switch to a different app?

Not only are there innumerable encrypted chat apps available for web and mobile devices, there's also plenty of free resources online to help you build your own, meaning that even an outright ban on encryption wouldn't work. If there's one thing you learn on the internet, it's that there's always a workaround.

Any steps to weaken the encryption of WhatsApp and other services would almost certainly do nothing to help fight terrorism. Instead, all it's likely to do is force terrorists to use even less visible means of communication, whilst simultaneously putting the safety and privacy of innocent people at risk.

Despite the repeated protestations of the security and technology communities, the government continues to revisit this stunningly ignorant and fundamentally flawed plan. Before it goes any further, you should know that Rudd and her cronies aren't just declaring war on WhatsApp - they're endangering your freedoms too.

A single dodgy image could let attackers read your WhatsApp messages but only through the browser-based version of the messaging app.

Security firm Check Point spotted the flaw in Facebook-owned WhatsApp and Telegram, though it only affects the web-based versions of those tools, not the mobile apps themselves. It's triggered by sending a malicious file, such as a photo.

"This vulnerability, if exploited, would have allowed attackers to completely take over users' accounts on any browser, and access victims' personal and group conversations, photos, videos and other shared files, contact lists, and more," noted Check Point's researchers in a blog post. "This means that attackers could potentially download your photos and or post them online, send messages on your behalf, demand ransom, and even take over your friends' accounts."

To use the flaw, attackers would send a file to the target that looked innocent but contained malicious code, which opens up access to let the hacker grab data. It takes advantage of WhatsApp's encryption, which protects an image from being viewed without validating it first. That means the malicious file can sneak through.

"Since messages were encrypted without being validated first, WhatsApp and Telegram were blind to the content, thus making them unable to prevent malicious content from being sent," Check Point's researchers noted.

The flaw was reported to WhatsApp and Telegram on 7 March, with a patch already rolled out. Anyone using the web version of either messaging app should make sure they restart the browser to ensure they are using the latest version.

Director of the Kent Cyber Security Centre, Eerke Boiten, agreed, saying it was worth stressing it's not encryption that's at issue, but malicious files.

"That they cannot be spotted is being blamed on the fact that they're encrypted - but spotting malicious files is an inexact science to start with; of course encryption does make it harder," he said. "WhatsApp say they will fix this by screening files for malicious content before they get encrypted and sent across; that seems sensible but imperfect."

Nevertheless, the fact malicious files hidden the way Check Point's researchers slipped them in was indeed a security design error, he said. "File previews could be just that, but it looks like they have used general web browser functionality for those, and thus allow code from inside a malicious file to actually attack the Whatsapp user's account," he added.

Boiten said it was similar to previous coverage of WhatsApp flaws, notably mention of the app in a tranche of CIA files leaked by Wikileaks. "The Wikileaks leak on CIA tools earlier had a completely gratuitous mention of WhatsApp: of course if you can control the device on which the encryption takes place, encryption itself has become pointless as you can grab the data before encryption takes place," he said. "That is not a flaw or even a 'circumvention' of the encrypted communication."

That doesn't mean the messaging service is perfectly secure, he noted. "Despite stories attacking WhatsApp for the wrong reasons, of course some caution regarding WhatsApp remains sensible," he said. "They may be encrypting the contents of communications, but the metadata of who messages whom (and when, and from where) is still visible to them. Such metadata is likely to be more useful than the content anyway, for their owners Facebook and other surveillance outfits."

WhatsApp has unveiled two-step authentication in an attempt to stop people using your phone number to install the free messaging app on their device.

Instead of simply entering your phone number when setting up WhatsApp on your phone, you'll now be requested to enter a six-digit authentication code too, making it harder for people to pretend to be you.

When you're taken through the process, the service will ask you for your email address too, which will enable you to disable two-step authentication on a later date. It can also be used if you forget your six-digit authentication code, but WhatsApp said it won't send an email confirmation or verification, meaning you could end up being locked out of your account if you use a fake email address or one that you don't always have access to.

"If you receive an email to disable two-step verification, but did not request this, do not click on the link. Someone could be attempting to verify your phone number on WhatsApp," the company warned.

WhatsApp will also stop people being able to re-verify the service using just their phone number if they have used two-step authentication to re-verify their account within the last seven days.

It's an even better reason to double check your email address is correct, because without having access to your email to disable two-step authentication, you won't be able to get into WhatsApp at all. If you try to access the service using just your phone number more than seven days after last using it with your passcode, all your WhatsApp messages will be deleted from your device, across all conversations, to protect your account from unauthorised access.

If you decide to start using it again after a break of 30 days or more, your entire account will be deleted and a new one will be created if you forget your passcode and can't access your email to disable the two-step authentication process.

Government officials are turning to WhatsApp to chat with colleagues about everything from diplomacy to Brexit - and that means anyone wishing to see such conversations can apply to do so under Freedom of Information Act request.

The first publicly known FOIA request to WhatsApp comes via Ireland, according to FOI Directory, revealing that a request was made of the Department of Taoiseach after a government WhatsApp group was revealed in a news report.

The group was set up by the press office to manage official releases sent by departments after the UK Brexit vote, with statements sent out by agencies including Enterpise Ireland sent out at regular intervals in the hopes of calming markets, according to a report in the Times.

The group also discussed public responses to the vote from other parties, chatting about their importance and accuracy.

The use of WhatsApp as "air traffic control" for the press office following Brexit appears to have been the first time the messaging app has been used in that way by the Irish government's media team, with one saying: "WhatsApp has worked out great."

It seems government officials are making good use of WhatsApp, with reports of diplomats using it to set up meetings and manage backchannel negotiations - and even send emojis of aliens to represent Russian President Vladimir Putin - while the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has been criticised for using it to chat about confidential subjects. WhatsApp does have end-to-end encryption, but the way its system works means it's less secure than rival chat apps such as Signal, recent reports have noted.

The Times noted that the Brexit WhatsApp details were released after an appeal to the Information Commissioner by Irish publication RT, after the department initially didn't release the records, though it later said that was a mistake rather than purposeful omission.

FOI Directory said it's "theorietically possible" to get WhatsApp messages from members of the British government, saying the FOI Act includes any information for public bodies to do their work, and noting that the Information Commissioner's Office suggests text messages and other "official information recorded on mobile devices" is covered.

WhatsApp users could be forced to upgrade their phones if they want to continue using the service as the firm behind the service has warned that it will stop working on older phones next year.

Affected Apple devices will include iPhone 3GS and other devices that haven't been updated to the newest operating system iOS 9.3.

First, second, third or fourth generation iPads that haven't been updated should also be affected.

Any phone running Android 2.1 or 2.2 will no longer support WhatsApp, including devices released between May 2010 and November 2011 by different manufacturers.

Other affected smartphones include Windows Phone 7, Nokia 240, Nokia Symbian S60, BlackBerry 10 and phones running on BlackBerry OS.

"While these mobile devices have been an important part of our story, they don't offer the kind of capabilities we need to expand our app's features in the future," a spokesperson from WhatsApp told the Liverpool Echo.

The app should stop working on most old devices by the end of 2016, while a few could still support the app until mid-2017.

"As we look ahead to our next seven years, we want to focus our efforts on the mobile platforms the vast majority of people use," WhatsApp told the Liverpool Echo.

WhatsApp has temporarily blocked European user data from being shared with its parent company Facebook, amid an ongoing privacy battle across the continent.

The sharing deal has been suspended to allow regulators to investigate privacy concerns and for Facebook to address the findings, according to the chief European regulatory body monitoring Facebook, the Irish Data Protection Commissioner's Office.

For now, Facebook will only make use of WhatsApp data for the purposes of fighting spam, according to sources speaking to the Financial Times (paywalled).

"We hope to continue our detailed conversations with the UK information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and other data protection officials," Facebook told the FT.

IT Pro contacted Facebook for comment but hasn't received a reply at the time of writing.

The news follows the ICO's request that Facebook and Whatsapp stop sharing data while it investigates whether customer details, such as phone numbers, are being used unlawfully.

The Article 29 Working Party (WP29), a group comprising all EU data protection authorities, said in October that it had "serious concerns" over the change to WhatsApp's data policy. In a letter addressed to Facebook, the WP29 requested a pause in the sharing of personal data 'until the appropriate legal protections could be assured".

WhatsApp, which was bought by Facebook in 2014 for $19 billion, made changes to its terms and conditions in August, which allowed user data to be shared with its parent company, even if they do not have a Facebook account. The messaging app argued that it would allow for a better advertising experience and would help fight spam.

However the changes have already led to an outright data-sharing ban in Germany, after regulators there considered the deal an infringement of national data protection law.

08/11/2016: The ICO has stopped Facebook using data from UK WhatsApp users on the social network while it investigates whether customer information, including phone numbers, are being used unlawfully.

In August, WhatsApp changed its privacy policy to say the data about users could be shared with the Facebook group of companies including Messenger and Instagram for services including advertising and product development purposes.

The ICO has now said the companies must explain to customers how their data is being used before they can continue their relationship.

"I don't think users have been given enough information about what Facebook plans to do with their information, and I don't think WhatsApp has got valid consent from users to share the information," information commissioner Elizabeth Denham wrote in a blog post. "I also believe users should be given ongoing control over how their information is used, not just a 30-day window."

She said she would also like users of both services to decide whether they want their data to be used now and in the future, with the ability to stop the company using it if they change their mind.

"We think consumers deserve a greater level of information and protection, but so far Facebook and WhatsApp haven't agreed. If Facebook starts using the data without valid consent, it may face enforcement action from my office," Denham threatened.

She said companies sharing data is becoming quite a concern of the ICO, especially when company mergers make the law a little more of a grey area. In some instances, companies are acquiring other businesses just for their data, which puts consumers at risk of having their data shared without permission.

"It's a problem that is broader than data protection, and we're speaking with industry, competition regulators and consumer groups to see how we can make people clearer on the law."

German authorities have also voiced concerns about the way Facebook and WhatsApp are sharing data and as a result, the European Commission said it too will investigate the relationship.

Facebook has warned growth will slow over the next quarter as the company seeks to re-evaluate its advertising strategies and increase investment in other areas.

The forecast sent shares falling by 7% on Wednesday, despite almost tripling its profits for the third-quarter ending at $7.01 billion net income.

The social media giant saw advertising revenue increase 59% year-over-year, generating $2.38 billion, 84% of which was delivered by mobile ads.

However growth would "meaningfully slow" due to limitations on the number of adverts the company is able to display without affecting user experience, chief financial officer David Wehner warned during a call to analysts, recorded by Reuters.

To increase revenue in other areas Facebook would need to invest heavily in 2017, according to Wehner.

"Adding top engineering talent remains one of our key investment priorities as we continue to execute on our three, five and 10-year roadmaps. In addition, we expect to grow capital expenditures substantially," said Wehner.

Facebook has already seen gains in its strategy for creating more video content, across both Facebook and Instagram, with plans to expand this to company's other apps. This will also involve investing heavily in infrastructure to make it easier to deliver video content to users.

"We had another good quarter," said Mark Zuckerberg, in an earnings statement. "We're making progress putting video first across our apps and executing our 10 year technology roadmap."

"We're prioritising putting video first across our family of apps and taking steps to make it even easier for people to express themselves in richer ways," added Zuckerberg in the analyst call.

A number of key revenue sources for Facebook remain relatively untapped. Their messaging service WhatsApp boasts more than 1 billion users but generates very little revenue for the firm. Facebook's drive into VR has also yet to take off, with disappointing sales of the Oculus Rift headset.

Facebook will also be looking to tap into a growing user base in the Asia-Pacific region, where the service still has a relatively small uptake, according to Wehner.

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will investigate WhatsApp's decision to share users' data with Facebook, it has confirmed.

Elizabeth Denham, the new information commissioner, said she plans to "pull back the curtain" on exactly how people's data is being shared between the two firms, following yesterday's announcement.

WhatsApp will let businesses chat to users on its platform for the first time in the next few months, but also changed its terms and conditions to allow it to pass users' information onto its parent company Facebook, which bought it for 11.2 billion in 2014.

The UK's data watchdog said there may be nothing wrong with the decision to share data, but that it has a responsibility to check.

Denham said in a statement: "The changes WhatsApp and Facebook are making will affect a lot of people. Some might consider it'll give them a better service, others may be concerned by the lack of control.

"Our role is to pull back the curtain on things like this, ensuring that companies are being transparent with the public about how their personal data is being shared, and protecting consumers by making sure the law is being followed.

"We've been informed of the changes. Organisations do not need to get prior approval from the ICO to change their approaches, but they do need to stay within data protection laws. We are looking into this."

WhatsApp believes that by sharing data with Facebook, the social network can serve better adverts to users, as well as allowing the chat platform "to do things like track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp".

WhatsApp will arrange for businesses to chat with users on its messaging platform in the next few months, as it makes dramatic changes to its terms and conditions.

The first update to its smallprint in four years sees WhatsApp move to monetise its one billion-strong userbase, after Facebook paid 11.2 billion for the company in 2014.

That involves tests before the end of the year to see how businesses can engage with users of the platform, a shift in strategy WhatsApp first signalled some months ago.

"As we announced earlier this year, we want to explore ways for you to communicate with businesses that matter to you too, while still giving you an experience without third-party banner ads and spam," WhatsApp's blog post today read.

"Whether it's hearing from your bank about a potentially fraudulent transaction, or getting notified by an airline about a delayed flight, many of us get this information elsewhere, including in text messages and phone calls."

It explained the terms and conditions needed updating so it can "test these features in the next several months".

WhatsApp's focus is on avoiding "a spammy experience" by making sure people are only contacted by businesses they already know or who they may be interested in.

It pitched the types of communications people can expect as necessary and welcome, such as "order, transaction, and appointment information, delivery and shipping notifications, product and service updates, and marketing", according to WhatsApp's terms and conditions.

It is not yet clear how WhatsApp will help businesses connect with people, but it will also pass people's phone numbers to Facebook, in order for the social network to serve up better targeted ads.

WhatsApp's blog post read: "By coordinating more with Facebook, we'll be able to do things like track basic metrics about how often people use our services and better fight spam on WhatsApp. And by connecting your phone number with Facebook's systems, Facebook can offer better friend suggestions and show you more relevant ads if you have an account with them. For example, you might see an ad from a company you already work with, rather than one from someone you've never heard of."

However, the content of users' encrypted messages will not be shared with Facebook, and neither will WhatsApp be able to read them, the company confirmed.

Nor will it share people's phone numbers with advertisers rather, it hopes by giving Facebook this data that it will be able to avoid spamming users with irrelevant advertising that pushes them away from the platform.

WhatsApp did say users who disagree with the new terms of service have 30 days to opt out of sharing their data with Facebook.

The terms and conditions read: "If you are an existing user, you can choose not to have your WhatsApp account information shared with Facebook to improve your Facebook ads and products experiences. Existing users who accept our updated Terms and Privacy Policy will have an additional 30 days to make this choice by going to Settings > Account."

Technology companies should yield to law enforcement and government requests, BlackBerry's CEO believes.

John Chen's comments on the sensitive dispute between the privacy of individuals and the needs of law enforcement come in the wake of WhatsApp's decision to implement end-to-end encryptionfor text, video, voice and image messages.

But the chief executive positioned BlackBerryon the opposite side of the dispute to fellow technology firmsApple and WhatsApp, asserting that tech companies should be "good corporate citizens".

"When it comes to doing the right thing in difficult situations, BlackBerry's guiding principle has been to do what is right for the citizenry, within legal and ethical boundaries,"wrote Chen.

"We have long been clear in our stance that tech companies as good corporate citizens should comply with reasonable lawful access requests. I have stated before that we are indeed in a dark place when companies put their reputations above the greater good."

His comments follow a recent report by Vicethat claimedthe Canadian government has been able to intercept messages from BlackBerry's encrypted messaging service since 2010.

Chen refuted claims made by the Vice story that the servers for its BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) were involved as part of a criminal investigation into mafia between 2010 and 2012.

He said: "Regarding BlackBerry's assistance, I can reaffirm that we stood by our lawful access principles. Furthermore, at no point was BlackBerry's BES server involved. Our BES continues to be impenetrable also without the ability for backdoor access."

However, in its report, Vice pointed out that BlackBerry encrypts its BBM messages using a single "global encryption key", which is loaded on every handset during manufacturing. Cracking this key is what is thought to have enabled Canada's federal police force to intercept and decrypt more than one million BBM messages during its 2010-2012 investigation.

Chen's comments are also a swipe at Apple CEO Tim Cook, who was vocal in Apple's refusal to submit to a court's demand that his company help the FBI break into an iPhone 5c belonging to one of the killers in the San Bernardino shooting.

The court case, which eventually saw the FBI hack into the phone without Apple's help, sparked a global debate about data privacy.

Meanwhile, Microsoft founder Bill Gates believes the US government should notify users when it is requesting their data from companies and services they use.

Speaking at aReuters Newsmaker event in Washington, Gates supported Microsoft in its decision to take the US government to court in a bid to make it more transparent about its data requests.

"There probably are some cases where [the government] should be able to go in covertly and get information about a company's email," said Gates. "But the position Microsoft is taking in this suit is that it should be extraordinary and it shouldn't be a matter of course that there is a gag order automatically put in."

WhatsApp has announced all communications sent through its platform are to be fully encrypted, which it claims makes it one of the most secure free messaging platforms around.

The new measures mean when you send a text message, voice message, photo, video or anything else through its platform, only the person or group who is sent the message can read it.

WhatsApp explained that neither cybercriminals nor hackers are able to access the content of the messages, nor can WhatsApp itself, oppressive regimes or governments that may want to snoop on its users, for example.

The company explained that although allowing access to data is an important part of law enforcement, not allowing end-to-end encryption could be dangerous, giving cybercriminals the means to hack into personal data.

"While we recognise the important work of law enforcement in keeping people safe, efforts to weaken encryption risk exposing people's information to abuse from cybercriminals, hackers, and rogue states," WhatsApp said.

"While WhatsApp is among the few communication platforms to build full end-to-end encryption that is on by default for everything you do, we expect that it will ultimately represent the future of personal communication," WhatsApp founder Jan Koum added in a blog post.

"The desire to protect people's private communication is one of the core beliefs we have at WhatsApp, and for me, it's personal. I grew up in the USSR during communist rule and the fact that people couldn't speak freely is one of the reasons my family moved to the United States."

Although some aspects of WhatsApp were previously encrypted after the company's integration with Open Whisper Systems, it is now encrypted across all content - voice calls, video, and multi-party chat rooms - for users on both iOS and Android.

BlackBerry has hit back at WhatsApp's decision to drop support for the BB10 operating system after 2016, telling users to express their disappointment via the #ILoveBB10Apps hashtag on Twitter.

Facebook announced last month that WhatsApp would no longer support older smartphones such as Nokia and BlackBerry, pushing users towards Android, iOS and Windows Phone, which it said the 'vast majority' of people now use.

Lou Gazzola, senior marketing manager for developer relations at BlackBerry, wrote in a blog post: "We are extremely disappointed in their decision as we know so many users love these apps. We fought back to work with WhatsApp and Facebook to change their minds, but at this time, their decision stands.

"Despite this, we have worked hard to ensure our end users have the best experience in light of this decision, and are continuing to search for alternate solutions."

In response, BlackBerry will make a concerted effort to promote native apps created by its developer community with a 'Great Apps on BlackBerry' list, and invest in apps popular among its users with updates and new features.

"We look forward to new apps and new customers on BlackBerry 10 and thank our developer community for their continued strong support," Gazzola added.

When announcing the move on the seven-year-anniversary of WhatsApp, the messaging platform said: "This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp.

"If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer Android, iPhone, or Windows Phones before the end of 2016 to continue using WhatsApp."

29/02/16: WhatsApp drops support for BlackBerry and Nokia

WhatsApp will no longer support older smartphones such as BlackBerry and Nokia after 2016, urging affected users to move to an Android, iOS or Windows Phone operating system.

The messaging app reached its seven-year anniversary last week, and took the opportunity to announce the changes, claiming that the "vast majority" of people now use at least one of the three major mobile operating systems, with others rapidly decreasing in popularity.

At the time of WhatsApp's original launch, before being acquired by Facebook in 2014, BlackBerry and Nokia accounted for 70 per cent of smartphone sales, with Google, Apple and Microsoft selling to less than 25 per cent of the market. Now, those latter three providers account for 99.5 per cent of sales.

In an official blog post, the firm said: "When we started WhatsApp in 2009, people's use of mobile devices looked very different from today.

"This was a tough decision for us to make, but the right one in order to give people better ways to keep in touch with friends, family, and loved ones using WhatsApp. If you use one of these affected mobile devices, we recommend upgrading to a newer Android, iPhone, or Windows Phones before the end of 2016 to continue using WhatsApp."

The mobile platforms being dropped are BlackBerry including BlackBerry 10 Nokia S40, Nokia Symbian S60, Android 2.1/Android 2.2 and Windows 7.1.

Whatsapp is reportedly stopping users of its Android app from linking to rival messenger Telegram, with any URL with the word "telegram" included no longer being recognised as a hyperlink.

The issue was flagged by user Shlagger on Reddit, who captured a screenshot of his efforts to link to telegram.me in various ways. Telegram.org, a newspaper based in Massachusetts, is also not registered as a link, suggesting that the app is blocking the word generally.

Although the links appear in the chat box as plain text, users are also unable to copy and paste the links over to another app, according to reports.

This comes following a recent update from WhatsApp, 2.12.367, which has reportedly only affected some Android users. Other Reddit users confirmed that the links are recognised in version 2.12.304.

Telegram confirmed to The Verge that the app is indeed being blocked for some users on WhatsApp, and a spokesperson told the site: "Typically after a media backlash, FB steps back and blames their intelligent filtering for the problem. We expect the same to happen this time as well."

Many Reddit users posting the in the thread aren't happy with the revelation, with many voicing their complaints and some declaring that they would be switching.

"Actually, this dirty trick is the thing that actually convinced me to made the switch. And I have to tell you, Telegram is clearly superior," wrote user FreemanAMG.

"Most of the time, you can't really compare them and it comes down to what people around you use," user Drundolf also wrote. "It's not even a personal choice anymore, it's based on what others use. Try convincing 20 people to all switch when what they're currently using works perfectly well."

Concerned about privacy? Then it might be time to abandon WhatsApp.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published its annual Who Has Your Back?' scorecard, a report which rates 24 major software and telecoms firms for their data privacy protection capabilities.

Free messaging service WhatsApp was rated just one star out of five by the EFF, with its opposition to built-in back-doors being the app's only redeeming privacy advantage.

Despite having a full year to prepare for its first appearance in the report, the EFF said that Whatsapp has "adopted none of the best practices" that the organisation highlighted.

Interestingly, however, parent company Facebook, which acquired the service earlier last year, fared much better with a four out of five rating, let down only by its refusal to reveal government content removal requests.

The EFF scores companies based on five categories, including whether they follow industry-accepted best practices, their transparency over government data demands, publication of data-retention policies, and their disclosure of details regarding government content removal requests.

Awarding a point for each, the fifth category this year was whether firms publicly and officially oppose government back-doors into their software, or other "deliberate security weaknesses".

Apple was among nine companies to receive a full five stars in the report, along with Wordpress, Dropbox, Yahoo, Adobe, CREDO, Sonic, Wickr and Wikimedia.

Overall, the EFF said it was pleased with the level of improvement across the industry since last year's report, saying that it believes the advancements in the small sample of companies is "emblematic of a broader shift".

It added: "We are pleased to see major tech companies competing on privacy and user rights. Perhaps invigorated by the ongoing debates around government surveillance and in response to growing public attention around these issues, more and more companies are voluntarily speaking out about government data requests and giving users tools to fight back."

WhatApp has extended its smartphone messaging service to the desktop, but iOS users will have to wait a little longer to use it.

WhatsApp Web, as the service has been dubbed, lets users access their accounts via the Chrome web browser so they can send and receive messages from desktop devices.

Before they can do this, users must open the smartphone app and select "WhatsApp Web" from the drop down menu. This will activate a QR code reader that can scan a pattern on the WhatsApp desktop site, which in turn opens up their account in the web browser.

In a blog post, the company explained: "Your phone needs to stay connected to the internet for our web client to work, and please make sure to install the latest version of WhatsApp on your phone."

At present, Android, BlackBerry, Nokia and Windows Phone devices can all be paired with the web browser in this way, but curiously iPhones cannot.

"Unfortunately for now, we will not be able to provide a web client to our iOS users due to Apple platform limitations," the blog post continued.

The multi-platform mobile messaging service has proved a hit with smartphone users since it was introduced in late 2009, because it allows them to send text and picture messages to their contacts without paying.

In a separate blog post, published earlier this week, WhatsApp revealed that it now has half a billion people around the world using its platform to send around 700 million photos a day.

The service was acquired by Facebook last year for around $22 billion, and has also recently found itself at the centre of a push by UK Prime Minister David Cameron to have encrypted messaging services shutdown on anti-terrorism grounds.

The Government needs to keep a "cool head" about how much access the security services should have to people's private data, in the wake of last week's Paris shootings.

That's according to Christopher Graham, the UK's Information Commissioner, who warned the Government off making any rash decisions about curtailing the use of encrypted online services for surveillance purposes.

"We need cool heads to analyse carefully what information the security services had access to [in the run up to the shootings] and how they used it before necessarily concluding that we must give [the powers that be] access to more and more of our private information," he said during a speech marking the 125th Roscoe Lecture at Liverpool's John Moores University.

"We must avoid knee-jerk reactions. In particular, I am concerned about any compromising of effective encryption for consumers of online services."

His comments follows the news earlier this week about the Prime Minister's plans to stop people using encrypted messaging services, such as WhatsApp and iMessage, on anti-terrorism grounds.

As reported by IT Pro yesterday, David Cameron said he would not hesitate to legislate against the use of these services, should his party remain in power beyond the 2015 General Election.

Graham went on to say that offering encryption to users of online services is an essential step in the fight against cybercrime, but accepts these services could be exploited by people who use them to operate under the radar.

That's why a healthy balance must be struck between protecting the privacy of individuals, and the public interest in keeping tabs on people's online activities.

"In matters of security, we surely need an effective, American-style Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board or the equivalent to find the right balance," he added.

The ICO isn't the only industry body concerned by the push to give the intelligence services greater online surveillance powers since the attack on offices and staff of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

In a statement, Nicholas Lansman, secretary general for the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA), said doing so would be the "easy way out" for politicians.

Particularly those intent on using the attacks to make a renewed push to introduce the controversial Communications Data Bill, AKA The Snoopers Charter.

"Existing legislation already allows for suspects' communications to be intercepted via a warrant, and the retention of communications data, which is already being retained in the UK, would also have been available to the intelligence services and the police under the existing RIPA process," Lansman added.

"While the draft Communications Data Bill would have provided access to broader data set, it is questionable whether it would have helped to prevent the incidents in Paris and the industry and UK citizens should be provided with a clear justification for why the Bill is needed now."

Whatsapp is rolling out end-to-end encryption to Android users as the messaging service looks to beef up its privacy and security credentials.

The Facebook subsidiary has partnered with Open Whisper System and is using the TextSecure' protocol. Whatsapp claims it will not be able to decrypt any messages even if it is asked to do so by the authorities.

Android users are the first to benefit with private messages between contacts already encrypted with the latest update.

This will be followed by encryption for group chats and media messages.

There are plans to roll out support for other platforms including iOS, BlackBerry and Windows Phone, but no timeframes have yet been specified.

"WhatsApp deserves enormous praise for devoting considerable time and effort to this project. Even though we're still at the beginning of the rollout, we believe this already represents the largest deployment of end-to-end encrypted communication in history," Open Whisper Systems wrote in a blog.

"WhatsApp runs on an incredible number of mobile platforms, so full deployment will be an incremental process as we add TextSecure protocol support into each WhatsApp client platform."

Whilst the move to encrypt data will be welcomed, it has also raised eyebrows as Whatsapp is owned by Facebook, a company that profits by collecting user data and serving them adverts.

User comments on the Open Whisper Systems blog have also greeted the announcement with caution, stating that there is always a risk of backdoors being built in. They also warned that the encryption is unlikely to affect the collection of metadata such as the time a message was sent or who the recipient of message was.

EU regulators have green-lighted Facebook's acquisition of mobile messenger service WhatsApp, despite the deal being disputed by telecoms companies.

The European Commission said in a statement the two firms were "not close competitors" and that consumers would continue to have a wide choice of alternative consumer communications apps after the transaction.

The $19bn (11.9bn) deal is the largest in the social networking firm's ten-year history and gives Facebook a significant presences in mobile messaging.

Commission Vice President in charge of competition policy, Joaqun Almunia, said, while Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are two of the most popular messaging apps available, most people use more than one communications app.

"We have carefully reviewed this proposed acquisition and come to the conclusion that it would not hamper competition in this dynamic and growing market. Consumers will continue to have a wide choice of consumer communications apps," he said.

Commissioners said the two apps were used by customers in different ways and many used both "simultaneously on the same mobile handset".

"Furthermore, this is a very dynamic market with several competing apps available on the market, such as Line, Viber, iMessage, Telegram, WeChat, and Google Hangouts."

In the ruling, the EC said the consumer communications apps market is characterised by network effects with apps becoming more useful to customers as the number of users increases. While this has helped both Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, the EC said there were a number of factors that mitigated these network effects for the apps.

The Commission said the consumer communications apps market is fast growing and characterised by short innovation cycles in which market positions are often reshuffled.

"Moreover, launching a new app is fairly easy and does not require significant time and investment. Finally, customers can and do use multiple apps at the same time and can easily switch from one to another," it said.

The Commission added that concerns over privacy stemming from the increased amount of data collected on users by the two apps for Facebook "do not fall within the scope of EU competition law."

The EU is to find out from service providers and technology firms if Facebook's $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp would adversely affect the mobile messaging market and its customers.

Regulators have sent a long and detailed questionnaire to firms in a bid to find out if the deal would hold back innovation and lead to price increases.

In May, Facebook approached the EU to look at competition issues as WhatsApp's free service could rival existing European telecoms companies.

The deal would see the social network become one of the biggest players in in the mobile messaging market, and is seen as a test case in how EU competition law applies to social media sectors.

Depending on the feedback, the EU could launch a full competition review, demand concessions or wave the deal through.

Rivals were asked if the deal would impact advertising and whether mobile messaging users would be affected by the deal.

"If negative, please explain why and what kind of negative impact (for example price increase, deterrence of innovation, etc)," the document said.

The questionnaire also asked rival firms if they would face problems as a result of the deal.

"As a result of the Facebook/WhatsApp transaction, do you expect users of WhatsApp to face greater difficulties in switching to another consumer communications service/app?" the questionnaire asked.

If "As a result of the Facebook/WhatsApp transaction, do you expect that it will be more difficult for WhatsApp's competitors to expand their user base or to launch a new consumer communications service/app in the European Economic Area?"

The deal has already been approved by the Federal Trade Commission in the US, with the stipulation that WhatsApp adheres to current privacy practices.

Facebook's Slingshot, the long-rumoured Snapchat rival from the social networking company, has finally been launched for iPhone users.

The ephemeral social messaging app allows users to share photos and videos "in the moment," sharing everyday experiences between friends. The feature that sets Slingshot apart from its rivals is that recipients of these photos and videos won't be able to view them until they have sent something in reply. A post on the app's blog reads:

"Photos and videos that don't stick around forever allow for sharing that's more expressive, raw and spontaneous. We can connect the same way we like to live: in the moment."

Rumours of Facebook's Snapchat-like app were confirmed after the application was "accidentally" launched for iPhone users in a number of countries before being pulled from the app store.

Facebook has previously attempted to make a rival app to popular messenger Snapchat, as well as reportedly trying to buy it for $3 billion in 2013.

Rumours about Facebook developing their own competing app, dubbed Slingshot, have been circulating for some time, and it's imminent launch was confirmed by the small, reportedly unplanned, rollout on Tuesday 9 June.

Before the app was pulled, iPhone users and news outlets were able to capture images of Slingshot, as well as marketing text explaining how it might eventually work. It is, as suspected, much like its most obvious competitor in that it allows users to share photos and video clips, with the option to draw on them before sending. There are, however, some extra features.

The app's marketing text states: "Slingshot lets you quickly share moments little and big with all your friends. Shoot a photo or video of what you're up to and sling it to a bunch of people. They won't be able to see your shot until they sling something back. Tap on a shot to react, or simply swipe it away."

Facebook released a statement at the time apparently confirming the event was not intentional on their part, saying: "Earlier today, we accidentally released a version of Slingshot, a new app we're working on. With Slingshot, you'll be able to share everyday moments with lots of people at once. It'll be ready soon and we're excited for you to try it out."

Speaking at Stanford university in January, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg commented on the success of Snapchat: "I think Snapchat is a super interesting privacy phenomenon because it creates a new kind of space to communicate which makes it so that things that people previously would not have been able to share, you now feel like you have a place to do so.

"I think that's really important and that's a big kind of innovation that we're going to keep pushing on and keep trying to do more on and I think a lot of other companies will, too."

Though they failed to acquire Snapchat, Facebook did succeed in purchasing WhatsApp earlier this year, and it's possible that features apparent in Slingshot could be incorporated into future versions of the messaging app.

The WhatsApp Windows Phone 8.1 app has been reintroduced to the Windows Phone store, after being pulled two weeks ago because of technical issues.

Developers designing a beta version of the app for Windows Phone 8.1 found it didn't run as planned, and - in some cases - didn't work at all.

Even though the app still worked on Windows Phone 8, it was removed from the store while its development team worked on a fixed.

During this time, any attempts to find it return an error.

In a statement released at the time of the app's withdrawel several weeks ago to Windows Phone Central the WhatsApp development team said: "Unfortunately due to technical issues, we have chosen to un-publish WhatsApp Messenger on the Windows Phone platform.

"We are working closely with Microsoft to resolve the issues and hope to return to the store shortly. We apologise to our users for the temporary inconvenience."

However, the app was reinstated on Friday and has been updated to include a raft of new features.

These include bolstered privacy settings, more customisation options and various bug fixes.

WhatsApp was bought up by Facebook in February 2014 in a deal worth $19 billion (11 billion).

Founder Jan Koum dismissed fears following the acquisition that users of the messaging platform would be prone to snooping: "If partnering with Facebook meant that we had to change our values, we wouldn't have done it," he said.

This story was originally published on 20 May 2014, but was updated to reflect the reinstatement of WhatsApp within the Windows store.

Apple has been sued for penalising people who replace their iPhones with Android devices, who claim they cannot "obtain the full benefits of their wireless-service contracts".

Adrienne Moore replaced her iPhone with an Android-powered Samsung smartphone but found she was unable to access the iMessages she had sent and received using her iDevice.

Her friends also sent her text messages, but these didn't arrive because the senders' iPhones presumed she was still using the iPhone. This resulted in the text being sent using iMessage.

She then complained to Apple and sought class-action status and undetermined damages because the company failed to disclose the information that an Android device wouldn't work with the Apple-owned iMessage service.

iMessage was launched as part of the iOS 5 operating system in 2011 and allows iOS users to send each other SMS messages using Wi-Fi or a data connection, meaning the user won't be charged for sending text messages. The service is similar to third-party app WhatsApp, although that allows people to send messages across various mobile operating systems.

iMessage uses your mobile phone number as an identifier, meaning if you switch to a new device but keep the same number, messages sent from the iPhone user's friends will still be sent to your phone using iMessage. However, because non-iPhones don't support iMessage, they get lost and never arrive on your phone.

An Apple tech support specialist told Adam Pash, former Lifehacker editor in chief, the company is aware of the problem but "is apparently clueless as how to fix it."

Apple has been repeatedly accused of locking people into its ecosystem, most notably with its proprietary Lightning charging point and its charger/data cable connector before that. Apps are not transferrable between Apple and any other operating system either, meaning once you have an iPhone, it's hard to swap unless you're happy to let go of your apps and re-download them.

WhatsApp founder Jan Koum has hit out at rumours the messaging platform will become less confidential once it's acquired by Facebook.

The app has become popular across the world as it can be used almost anonymously, from the point of view of the service provider. This has proved particularly attractive in countries with high levels of government monitoring of communications, such as Iran.

However, following the news the social networking giant is to acquire WhatsApp, it was speculated the level of privacy offered by the service would be eroded, as Facebook collects personal data from its users.

Koum has responded to these concerns through a blog post in which he seeks to "set the record straight".

"Unfortunately, there has...been a lot of inaccurate and careless information circulating about what our future partnership would mean for WhatsApp users' data and privacy," said Koum, who said his belief in the right to private communication was spurred in part by growing up in the USSR during the 1980s.

Koum claims respect for user privacy is "coded in [WhatsApp's] DNA", pointing out the company does not ask for email addresses or real names, nor does it collect information on customers' dates of birth, GPS, internet search, or likes and dislikes.

"If partnering with Facebook meant that we had to change our values, we wouldn't have done," said Kroum.

"Make no mistake: our future partnership with Facebook will not compromise the vision that brought us to this point. Our focus remains on delivering the promise of WhatsApp far and wide, so that people around the world have the freedom to speak their mind without fear," he concluded.