Mark your calendars! The iPhone 16 is dropping this September. Also, Telegram’s CEO gets arrested in France — authorities say he didn’t do enough to stop shady stuff on the app. Plus, Amazon Echo fails and fake election maps going viral.
End-to-end encryption comes to Facebook Messenger - Here's how to enable it
End-to-end encryption is an important security tool to protect communications. Tap or click here to find out how to encrypt your emails and text messages.
The technology makes it more difficult for hackers to infiltrate conversations. Almost all chat applications, including Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp, use end-to-end encryption.
Facebook recently added end-to-end encryption to its Messenger platform. Keep reading to find out how to enable it.
Here’s the backstory
Billions of people have a Facebook profile, and many take advantage of its Messenger tool. It allows for private messages and phone calls between users and groups.
Earlier this year, Facebook rolled out end-to-end encryption for Messenger. Last year, the company tested end-to-end encryption for group chats, including voice and video calls. But only a tiny portion of users was included.
Now, end-to-end encryption is available for everyone. It isn’t activated by default, though, as it rolls out on an opt-in basis. That means you must manually enable it if you want to make sure your chats are secure.
How to enable end-to-end encryption for Facebook Messenger
With end-to-end encryption, no one can intercept, read, or alter a message from one end to the other. Here’s how to enable it in Messenger:
- Open the Messenger app.
- Make sure the Chat tab on the bottom of your screen is selected.
- Tap the new message icon in the upper right. (NOTE: It looks like a pen and pad of paper.)
- Select the contact you want to chat with. Remember, Facebook doesn’t allow end-to-end encrypted chats with businesses, professional accounts like those for public figures, Instagram accounts from your Messenger app, or people you’ve never messaged. +
How to start an end-to-end encrypted call:
Clicking on one of these texts allows devious malware to take over your phone
Text messages have not gone out of fashion. While platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram have exploded in use, 2.1 trillion text messages were still sent in 2020. Facebook Messenger is also a popular choice, and the company recently introduced end-to-end encryption.
Double-edged deal: The Telegram app is offering free premium subscriptions when you send 150 two-factor authentication texts on its behalf. Why? Because it’s expensive to do it themselves. The catch: Everyone you send a 2FA text to gets your real phone number. Just pay the $5 for Premium, folks.
After years of saying otherwise, now we know Facebook can read your WhatsApp messages
Facebook doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to privacy. Even founder Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that in 2019, saying it doesn’t have “a strong reputation for building privacy-protective services.”
Pharmacist faces 120 years in prison for selling fake vaccination cards - Here's what the punishment is if you buy one
Thanks to the Delta variant, we’re seeing a spike in fake vaccine cards on Dark Web black markets. Tap or click here to track the Delta variant. When you buy a fake vaccination card, you’re opening yourself up to a world of danger. Sure, you can head to offices or other places that are requiring vaccines — but you could also find yourself in the back seat of a police car.
Another Facebook data breach? New database to check for your number
Social media is useful for keeping in touch while we maintain social distancing. It can be a nice distraction from the hardships we are facing during the pandemic.
As with any service or subscription, social media accounts require personal information. This can vary depending on the network, but at the minimum, you are giving your name and email address. Unfortunately, social media platforms are prime targets for hackers. Tap or click here to read about a recent breach that affected 533 million Facebook users.
Want to get away from Big Tech? Here’s how
My inbox is full of one question this week: How can I drop Big Tech companies? This got me thinking … Is it possible to stop using the services of the Big Five altogether? That’s Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook and Microsoft. I did the research to give you a headstart if you’re looking to move away from one or all of them. If this helps you out, do me a favor and share it with your friends and family.
Deepfake bot 'undresses' 100K women with fake nude photos on messaging app
Deepfakes have been a topic of controversy ever since they first emerged on the web. To make a deepfake, creators will take ordinary photos and digitally stitch them to videos with the help of machine-learning AI. The result: an uncanny clip of someone who was never filmed.
5 alternatives to FaceTime for Android
There’s just something about video chat that makes you feel close to far-away friends and family. Apple’s FaceTime is one of the best options out there for connecting via video, but what if you use an Android phone?
First off, don’t be fooled by apps in the Google Play store branded as FaceTime. They’re fakes, and they’re probably harmful to your device. Tap or click here to learn about other dangerous apps you need to avoid.