Growth in demand for encrypted apps no cause for alarm, say tech experts
Governments around the world blame encryption for weakening security but it’s essential to the functioning of the modern world
“Privacy is the norm and we strongly believe that it should be a part of everyone’s digital life, just like you would expect in the physical world. We all use safeguards like closing doors or lowering your voice to protect our privacy, which are not seen as secretive actions,” he says.
“In the same way, at Wire we don’t think of messaging apps using end-to-end encryption as secretive, it’s just emphasising that your communications are personal and private.”
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There’s also a growing awareness of online privacy, of companies mining people’s data to use for targeted advertising or to sell on to third parties, but the real problem is malicious hackers who target company servers filled with user data.
“Awareness is often the driving force behind innovation, and the same can be said for encrypted messages,” says Duric.
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“Now that people understand how much of their communications can be scanned or intercepted, they’re choosing forms of communication that prevent this and as a result, encrypted services are on the rise.”