The encrypted message is This is a godsend for mobile communication, whether you want to send a regular text message to a friend you want to keep private, or have interactions that you would rather keep secret for security reasons. Apps like Signal and Telegram give users the ability to exchange messages that only the sender and recipient can read. Of course, people can also use that privacy to make less than desirable transactions without worrying about their communications being leaked.
Encrypted messaging has been in the news in recent weeks, primarily due to the arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, who has been accused by the French government of refusing to comply with law enforcement requests to arrest people who are using the app for criminal activity. Durov’s arrest also sheds light on the growing public profile of Signal, a fully encrypted messaging app that has always taken a stance against the collection of user data.
This week Gadget LabWIRED security writer Andy Greenberg talks about how encrypted messages work, what could go wrong, and how while Telegram and Signal may look similar, they differ in the way they work, which could affect users’ liability for the content they share on the platforms.
Show Notes
Read Andy’s interview with Signal President Meredith Whitaker. Read Lily Hay Newman and Morgan Meeker’s reporting on the arrest of the Telegram founder and the broader criminal investigation. See all of WIRED’s coverage of Signal and Telegram.
Recommendations
Andy recommends the memoir My Glorious Defeat: Hacktivists, Narcissists, and Anonymous By Barrett Brown. Mike encourages us to take a ride with Waymo and imagine the self-driving future that is coming. Lauren The RingerA story about a new baseball team, the Oakland Ballers.
Andy Greenberg can be found on social media at @agreenberg.bsky.social. Lauren Good can be found at @Lauren GoodMichael Carole can be reached at @snackfight@heads.social. The main hotline is @Gadget LabThe show is produced by Boone Ashworth (@).Boone Ashworth). Theme music is by Solar Keys.
How to listen
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