Protecting point-to-point messaging apps: Understanding Telegram, WeChat, and WhatsApp

On Wednesday, August 16 the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) hosted the launch of “Protecting point-to-point messaging apps: Understanding Telegram, WeChat, and WhatsApp in the United States” a yearlong project exploring messaging apps technical features, policies, and usage.

Messaging apps are deeply embedded in daily life for more than 3 billion people worldwide as a primary means of communication with friends and family, buying and selling products and services, following the news, and discussing public affairs. Senior Research Fellow Iria Puyosa will share the trends and implications of messaging app usage, security features, and platform policies.

Introductory remarks will be followed by an expert conversation discussing the tradeoffs of different approaches messaging platforms may undertake for identifying, mitigating, or ending the spread of harmful content in encrypted messaging apps. Panelists will explore different remedies platforms they may employ, including behavioral signals, metadata analysis, in-app reporting, and client-side scanning. The discussion will illuminate how different approaches can affect user security, data privacy, and human rights around the world.

Panelists

Iria Puyosa
Senior Research Fellow
DFRLab

Robert Fabricant
Co-Founder and Partner
Dalberg Design

Connie Moon Sehat
Research-at-large
Hacks/Hackers

Riana Pfefferkorn
Research Scholar
Stanford Internet Observatory

Moderator

Justin Hendrix
CEO & Editor
Tech Policy Press

Introduction

Rose Jackson
Director
Democracy + Tech Initiative, DFRLab

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August 2023 7 min read