The ‘Make DMS Secure’ campaign of tech giants pushing encryption grows after ROI

The “Make DMs Safe” campaign calls on Facebook, Twitter, Google and the companies that run popular messaging apps to offer full encryption, along with other safeguards, directly to users.

Activist group Fight for the Future first launched its push in September but on Thursday announced dozens of new supporters. Most of the coalition has long urged Silicon Valley giants to increase privacy protections for consumers, but they say the Supreme Court’s overturning of federal abortion rights has raised the stakes for millions, especially when it comes to protecting private and direct messages, or DMS. .

In an open letter and online petition, the groups are calling on several major tech companies to do so by the end of the year, refusing to provide partial or full encryption by default.

Natalie Marechal, director of policy at the Digital Rights Rating Group, said many users “reasonably” think that messages posted as private cannot be intercepted by law enforcement, but that’s often not the case.

“I think a lot of people don’t understand that if they talk on Facebook Messenger, it’s not personal,” said Marchal, whose group signed on to the campaign.

Here’s a list of the protections companies currently offer — and why advocates say it’s not enough:

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp

• In August, Meta said on the Messenger app that “default end-to-end encrypted chats will begin testing by some people, meaning users won’t have to opt-in to the feature” and that it is “expanding limited testing.” Opt-in, end-to-end encrypted messages for Instagram messages. The company, which owns encrypted messaging service WhatsApp, has announced plans to “roll out standard end-to-end encryption for private messages and calls worldwide by 2023.”
• Groups have called for Meta to specify a “fixed date” for the full implementation of the plan and to complete it by the end of the year.
• Meta spokesperson Alex Dizan They declined to give an exact timeline for the final release, but said in a statement that “due to the size and scope of the engineering challenge, it will take time to get this right.”

• Twitter has said it could encrypt its direct messages for years, but has refused to let lawmakers down. The new owner of Twitter, Elon Muskand has. The platform called To encrypt the messages:

• Groups are pushing Twitter to encrypt messages and archive data on those communications by the end of the year. The open letter mentioned concerns about Twitter’s security protocols that have been raised in whispers Peter ZatokoThe company pushed back.
• Twitter declined to comment.

• Apple provides end-to-end encryption for iMessage by default, and users can enable encryption for backup messages as well.
• But the groups argued that the company had not taken steps to extend the protection when sending iPhone users to other services that use the Android product, such as messaging services. They are pushing for the company to change that and provide full end-to-end encryption for backup messages by default.
• Apple did not return a request for comment.

• Google offers partial encryption on its chat service and full encryption on Google Messages by default for exchanges between two users, but not for group messages with three or more users. The company said it plans to roll out this year.
• The groups are calling for Google to implement full encryption on chat and set a “fixed date” for it to happen this year.
• Google did not return a request for comment.

Google and other organizations have built tools to help the Iranian opposition

Google’s elite Jigsaw unit has built a VPN tool called Outline, which has become increasingly popular in Iran as protesters try to access the internet without government restrictions. Joseph Men And Yasmin Abutaleb Report it. Iran’s government has cracked down on protests in September after a 22-year-old woman died in the country’s “morality police custody” as U.S. officials try to get tech companies — especially communications equipment — to provide services. ” which got her arrested for showing too much hair.

“The VPN, called Outline, is available as an app or web download on its own, and in versions distributed by a third party such as nthLink, a US government-funded company,” they write. “NthLink’s monthly users in Iran Online increased tenfold in two months, reaching 2.4 million unique devices in September.” Outline is a free VPN tool that allows users to hide their tracks online better than most paid versions.

Jigsaw is managed by Jasmine GreenShe fled Iran with her parents at the age of 3. “Founder of Google.”Larry Page He said that all Google products should be like a toothbrush, which everyone uses at least twice a day.” Greene said in an interview after she was promoted to lead Jigsaw in July. “We’ve changed the analogy to an airbag. People don’t need it very often, but when they do, they absolutely need it to work.

Google has approved the Truth Social Media app for the Truth Social app store

The app is now available for download on the Google Play Store, giving the app a key place to roll out with less than a month to go before the midterm elections, according to Bloomberg News. Julia Love Reports. Truth Social has agreed to remove content that violates Google’s policies, Google told Bloomberg News.

Axios reports that Truth Social has not been approved by Google due to previous violent incitements and threats against the app. The outlet first reported that the app had been approved by Google.

Truth Social faces business challenges beyond Google. Special-purpose company Digital World Acquisitions Corp. has delayed a key vote on whether to extend the deadline for its merger with the Trump startup. The company also faces investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal prosecutors.

An appeals court has temporarily suspended Texas’ social media law

This comes as tech groups prepare to ask the Supreme Court to strike down a law that would bar companies from removing posts based on their users’ political ideology, according to Politico. Rebecca Kern. Reports. In September, the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld the law.

Texas did not oppose the appeals court’s request for a stay until the tech groups asked for an extension to file their case with the Supreme Court, Kerr reported.

“NetChoice and the CCIA say the September decision conflicts with a decision in May by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that a similar Florida law banning political candidates from social media platforms violated constitutional protections for tech companies,” Kern wrote in May. In a 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court blocked the Texas law from applying in response to an emergency motion filed earlier by NetChoice and the CCIA, based on an earlier 5th Circuit decision last spring.”

Apple Bans Latest Employee Benefits From Union Stores (Bloomberg News)

FCC to block all US sales of new Huawei and ZTE devices (Axios)

Crypto Group Sues Janet Yellen, US Treasury Over Tornado Cash Sanctions (Bloomberg News)

Microsoft Says Sony’s Bias in $69 Billion Deal Ruined CMA (Bloomberg News)

Twitter to review policies around permanent user bans (Financial Times)

TikTok Parent ByteDance Plans Music Streaming Expansion (Wall Street Journal)

I Made $200,000 Last Year Ghostwriting Tweets for Superstar VCs (Insider)

• Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb (R) Discuss CHIPS & SCIENCE Act on The Washington Post Live Today at 1:30 p.m.
• The Atlantic Council will host an event on the new Atlantic Data Privacy Framework on Monday at 10 am.
• The Federal Trade Commission will hold an event on digital advertising for children on Wednesday.
• Government and industry officials will speak at the Business and Public Policy Spectrum Summit in Georgetown on Wednesday.
• The Security and Technology Institute will hold a meeting on the information transfer agreement on Wednesday at 11:00 am

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