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CNET News Video
CNET News Video
Why WhatsApp's encryption is a bigger deal than Apple vs The FBI
Transcript
[MUSIC]
So it seems the Apple versus the FBI controversy could just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to tech companies versus government.
Brazilian authorities are now attempting to to retrieve information from WhatsApp regarding drug trafficking in their country.
They suspect the incredibly popular world wide messaging app is being used as a platform for communication among the criminals.
But since WhatsApp's decryption tech works via a private and public key combination, there's no way WhatsApp can access the data in question.
It's actually physically impossible without the device that connects to the service.
Of course, this is much different when you compare the situation with what happened with Apple and the FBI.
Apple had the ability to create a backdoor, which would have opened access to an iPhone, where here, What's App's hands are essentially tied.
What's App says the company has been cooperating with Brazilian law enforcement, but can't provide the full extent of what they're looking for.
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