news 
Google’s Security Nightmare: Just 14 Days To Change Your Phone
In a shocking revelation, tech expert John Gruber has accused Google of putting American users at risk by misleading them about the security of their messages. According to Gruber, Google Messages’ transit security is not end-to-end encrypted, which means that Android users who use RCS messaging may be compromising their privacy and security.
This comes as a major blow to Google’s efforts to promote RCS (Rich Communication Services) as a secure alternative to SMS/MMS messaging. In fact, Google has been touting RCS as the standard for improved cross-platform messaging, with Samsung joining forces to push its adoption.
However, Gruber argues that this is nothing but a security nightmare, as many Android users may be unwittingly compromising their privacy and security by using Google Messages. He notes that the encryption warning in Google Messages only works when recent versions of the app are used on all sides of a chat, and even then, it’s difficult to notice whether your text is secure or not.
In contrast, Apple has taken a different approach to messaging with iMessage, which provides end-to-end encryption and seamless integration across multiple devices. This has raised concerns that Google’s RCS messaging may be putting Android users at risk.
The FBI has recently issued a warning about the risks of using non-secure messaging apps, and Gruber’s findings only serve to underscore these concerns. He is now advising Android users who care about the security of their messages to switch to a secure platform like WhatsApp or Signal.
It remains to be seen whether Google will address this issue by providing a fully encrypted bridge between Google Messages and iMessage, but for now, it appears that there may not be a way back for RCS to compete with these alternatives.
Source: http://www.forbes.com
