Telegram CEO Says WhatsApp's End-to-End Encryption Security Claims are a Scam

JAKARTA - Telegram CEO, Pavel Durov, assessed that WhatsApp's claim that end-to-end encryption is active by default is a big scam against consumers.

In his official Telegram channel, Durov said the claim was misleading because most user messages were still stored in an unencrypted form on cloud backups.

According to him, around 95% of WhatsApp private messages are stored in a text-based backup on Apple and Google servers.

He also added that the backup encryption feature is indeed available, but is optional and rarely activated by users, especially with a strong password.

"Around 95% of private messages on WhatsApp end up in plain text backups on Apple/Google servers, not end-to-end encrypted. Backup encryption is optional, and few people turn it on - let alone use strong passwords," Durov said.

However, Durov added, even if users activate the backup encryption feature, the risk still exists because most (90%) of the interlocutors do not do the same thing.

In addition, Durov claimed that WhatsApp also stores communication metadata, including who is sending messages to each other.

"Plus WhatsApp stores and reveals everyone you communicate with, so the situation is considered worrying," he added.

Furthermore, Durov said Apple and Google reveal WhatsApp messages that are reserved for third parties thousands of times each year.

In contrast, he emphasized that Telegram has never revealed the contents of user messages during its more than a decade of operation.