E2EE for Android Messages

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Google has begun rolling out end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for Rich Communication Service (RCS), the text-messaging standard the industry giant is pushing as an alternative to SMS. E2EE guarantees the complete privacy of messages, even against the powerful National Security Agency. It uses strong cryptography to encrypt messages with a key that’s unique to each user. Because the key is in sole possession of each user, end-to-end encryption prevents everyone else—including the app maker, ISP or carrier, and three-letter agencies—from reading a message. Messaging apps that currently provide E2EE include Signal, WhatsApp, and iMessage, to name just three. The beta test phase is starting this month, while rollout will continue into next year.

⇨ Ars Technica, Dan Goodin, “Google is testing end-to-end encryption in Android Messages.”