“FBI Document Says Police Can Get Your WhatsApp Data In Real Time”, Topic Rolling stone Which presents it as a shocking revelation. In fact, the title is a big shortcut and the information is already known. However, the famous FBI Documents Which deals with legal requests, has the merit of a recall, although presented as privacy-protecting services, WhatsApp and iMessage are not out of reach of the authorities.
which led, with search warrant, the FBI can obtain from WhatsApp the address book of the target person, as well as those of other people the target is in contact with, as well as metadata about the messages exchanged. The contents of the messages remain unreadable by the FBI, as they are encrypted end-to-end. a survey of publica pointed out that messages reported by users became visible to moderators platform, but it is not known whether the FBI could gain access to these decrypted messages.
For iMessage, still subject to warrant providing, the FBI can obtain up to 25 days of data from Apple on user requests made in Messages, as well as information that other people have targeted targets in the app. What did you find? , Since messages are encrypted end-to-end, their contents are not readable by the FBI… unless iCloud backup is enabled. Apple has an iCloud backup decryption key, the authorities can request this key and thus read the messages.
This is no revelation, this “flaws” in the security of messages has already stirred debate last year. By possessing this key, Apple has the ability to decrypt backups of users who have forgotten their password. A few years ago, Apple would have intended for end-to-end encryption of iCloud backups, and so they contained messages, but that project did not materialise.
Encryption of iCloud Backup, an end-to-end puzzle
The FBI’s opposition to the project may have played into its abandonment. Other reasons could have prompted Apple not to do so, such as the desire to continue offering rescue solutions for users who have lost their passwords.
Apple responded to the article Rolling stone in the usual way, that is, by directing to transparency report Which counts requests from authorities in each country, requests that Apple can protest if they don’t comply.