There is a lot of focus lately on security and keeping all of our personal information from getting into the wrong hands. This has now spread to some messaging apps that offer encryption. We asked our writers, “Do you bother with messaging apps that use encryption?”
Our Opinion
Derrik actually just authored an article that inspired this question, 3 of the Best Encrypted Messenger Apps for Android. While he would love to use one of the ones he mentioned in his article and does use an encrypted SMS/MMS program, only a handful of the people he knows use those apps, so he finds himself just using Hangouts and Facebook Messenger that are not secure.
That was the same opinion of other writers as well. Damien says he mainly uses the messaging app that his friends use, as “there is no point using a secure app when there is no one I can talk to.” Mahesh agrees with that, and Vamsi just uses WhatsApp because all of his friends and family use it.
Phil and Jeffry don’t use messaging apps with encryption for a different reason. Phil states he has nothing to hide and using encryption makes it look like you do. Jeffry points out he’s not a secret agent or anything yet also doesn’t “fancy those who pry on other people’s privacy.” He wonders if people at some level do need encryption.
Trevor has an answer for those who say they have nothing to hide. He compares them to “people who lock their doors and don’t keep large sums of money on them” and explains it’s not about having something to hide but about “what a nefarious person could do with the public information.” Knowing more about a person makes it easier to figure out their passwords, when they aren’t at home, etc.
As for myself, I see the points that everyone is making. I don’t share anything critical that I need to worry about and never even considered using encrypted messaging, yet I do share things that would allow a person with bad intentions to learn about my personal life. And yes, I want to use the same messaging apps that others use. For the most part, that’s Facebook Messenger and iMessage. I particularly like it that most of my family has iPhones and are also using iMessage as that way I can message from my iPad and not have to go back to my iPhone, and to me that’s more important than worrying about encrypted messaging.
Your Opinion
Our writers have some very valid points validating and discrediting messaging apps with encryption. How do you feel about the topic? Do you bother with messaging apps that use encryption? Sound off in the comments section below.
Image Credit: Messaging
Laura has spent nearly 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with more than 10 of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past three decades. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.
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