“The Electronic Frontier Foundation or EFF, a non-profit digital rights group, has investigated the security of various messaging apps and created a new Secure Messaging Scorecard, ranking messaging apps and tools like iMessage, FaceTime, BlackBerry Messenger, Skype, Snapchat, and more, based on seven different factors” Juli Clover reports for MacRumors.
“Apple’s iMessage scored five out of seven checkmarks, earning points for encrypting messages in transit and encryption that’s unreadable by Apple, but the messaging app was faulted for an inability to verify contact identities and the fact that Apple’s code is not open to independent review,” Clover reports. “FaceTime was scored in the same way as iMessage, also offering encryption but no contact verification/independent review capabilities. Outside of dedicated secure chat messaging apps, both FaceTime and iMessage scored higher than competing messaging platforms like Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, Snapchat, Kik, Google Hangouts, and BlackBerry Messenger.”
Clover reports, “According to the EFF, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime products were the ‘best of the mass-market options,’ which is not much of a surprise given Apple’s unparalleled focus on user privacy.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Short-timer U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder blasts Apple for protecting users’ privacy against government overreach – September 30, 2014
What if Osama bin Laden had an iPhone? – September 26, 2014
FBI blasts Apple for protective users’ privacy by locking government, police out of iPhones and iPads – September 25, 2014
Apple thinks different about privacy – September 23, 2014
Apple’s iOS Activation Lock reduces iPhone thefts, Samsung phone thefts skyrocket – September 18, 2014
Apple CEO Tim Cook ups privacy to new level, takes direct swipe at Google – September 18, 2014
Apple will no longer unlock most iPhones, iPads for government, police – even with search warrants – September 18, 2014
Would you trade privacy for national security? Most Americans wouldn’t – August 6, 2014
Apple begins encrypting iCloud email sent between providers – July 15, 2014
Obama administration demands master encryption keys from firms in order to conduct electronic surveillance against Internet users – July 24, 2013
U.S. NSA seeks to build quantum computer to crack most types of encryption – January 3, 2014
Apple’s iMessage encryption trips up U.S. feds’ surveillance – April 4, 2013
EFF is my hero. I even give them money.
http://www.apple.com/privacy/government-information-requests/
A tiny percentage of our millions of accounts is affected by national security-related requests. In the first six months of 2014, we received 250 or fewer of these requests. Though we would like to be more specific, by law this is the most precise information we are currently allowed to disclose.
In its latest “Who Has Your Back?” report, the E.F.F. awarded Apple 6 out of 6 stars for our commitment to standing with our customers when the government seeks access to their data.
– Apple
Do they accept Apple Pay?
LOL! Yeah, but only at their retail outlet. 😉
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Electronic Privacy Information Center, American Civil Liberties Union all get contributions from this corner and all are doing great work on behalf of all of us.
I think the two lost ppints is not Apple fault. I’m glad Apple keeps the code secure.
While, as the article states, Apple’s systems are more secure than the vast majority of the systems out there, not verifying to whom the message is sent or what system is on the other end of the Facetime link is definitely something Apple could fix. Glossing over this and claiming it’s “not Apple [sic] fault” is ignoring the fact that Apple could implement this verification — and should.
The other point — not allowing outside/independent review of the software source code — is something Apple will likely stick with forever. Apple does need to get a pass on this one.
Good point! 😊
“Unparalleled focus on user privacy” is at least an overstatement and likely factually false. The writer should have said “compared to the main companies” and “regarding instant messaging services.”