My Facebook messenger wants to end-to-encrypt my messages but I don’t know what that means. I tried googling but still don’t get it, I’m not that great with technology. Someone please eli5
In: Technology
Computer encryption is like locking your message up inside a magic box that only you and the person you want to send the message to are able to see through.
Previously, your messages were sent to Facebook, and Facebook would lock them in a magic box that only Facebook can see into, and then they would unlock the box at the other end and hand the letter to your friend. This isn’t good because at any point Facebook can read all your messages.
End to end encryption means you and your friend now have your own magic boxes. You can lock your message inside your own magic box before you give it to Facebook, so now Facebook can’t see your messages. And Facebook just hands your locked magic box over to your friend and only then does your friend unlock it.
This is much more secure because even if somebody in the middle steals or copies your magic box and its contents, they can’t see inside it.
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