WhatsApp Auto-backups on Google Drive doesn’t have end-to-end encryption

WhatsApp has recently teamed up with Google to provide free storage space for backup files. The partnership is expected to come in effect from November 12. It is advised to the users that they back up their data manually before the aforementioned date.

Now, the Facebook-owned instant messaging platform has revealed something quite alarming. WhatsApp has recently announced that the backed up data including the chats, images, and videos on Google Drive will not be protected by the company's end-to-end encryption.

As per some reports from Beebom, a message posted by WhatsApp on the FAQ section of its official blog said, "Media and messages you back up aren't protected by WhatsApp end-to-end encryption while in Google Drive,"

This revelation by the company is quite alarming. In the times when data privacy should be the utmost priority, WhatsApp's move is quite alarming. WhatsApp is known for its privacy policies and the encrypted messaging format on its platform. However, the decision to not to have an end-to-end encryption for the backed-up data is not a wise move. This raises concerns among the users.

Notably, the Indian government had recently asked WhatsApp to look for a technological solution in order to trace an origin of a message on its platform. WhatsApp has not yet complied with the request which had left the Indian government fuming.

It is being further reported that the IT Ministry has also threatened the company with abetment charges if some mishap takes place because of the fake news and hoaxes spreading on its platform. It is worth noting that WhatsApp's privacy policy has been an impediment to the company's fight against the spread of hoaxes and fake news. These wrong information have already resulted in a number of public lynching in India.

With the new developments, it would come as no surprise if the privacy of the backed-up data gets compromised. Keeping this fact in mind the data will get compromised after the back-up, users can turn off the back-up whenever they want. To do so, head over to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Backup to Google Drive, and change the settings to 'Never' and vice versa to back up the chats.