A Hidden Nugget about E2EE Use as a Filter

August 23, 2022

I am not a fan of Silicon Valley type “real” news. Political biases usually color the factoids. I read “Inside Facebook’s Encryption Conundrum.” [Believe it or not you may have to spit out personal info or pay to read this hyperlinked document.] I don’t care too much about Facebook’s conundrums. Mismanaged online services are poorly understood by those who live and die by social media. The goldfish does not know the water in its bowl contains amorphous scales of lead and lead phosphate.

I am going to ignore the description of the Zuckbook’s business processes and focus on what I perceive to be the nugget in the write up:

In recent conversations with Meta employees, I’ve come to understand more about what’s taking so long — and how consumer apathy toward encryption has created challenges for the company as it works to create a secure messaging app that its user base will actually use.

Translating into Beyond Search lingo yields, “People don’t know and don’t care.”

Ergo, anyone using an encrypted messaging app is signaling:

I know;

I care;

Therefore, why not monitor me?

You may have a different conclusion. I believe use of apps like Telegram provides an important signal. Apathy is a filter. Is the opposite important?

Stephen E Arnold, August 23, 2022

Comments

Comments are closed.

  • Archives

  • Recent Posts

  • Meta