Steven Walker, the CEO of Spylix and a noted Apple security researcher, says that people should avoid downloading… Facebook Messenger. I bet you did not expect it to be that app, considering how popular it is. Despite Apple’s strict security measures for iPhone users, Walker says the track record of Meta (formerly Facebook) means Messenger cannot be trusted. “To the surprise of many, Facebook Messenger is one of the very few such applications that iPhone users should never install on their devices,” Walker says. “It is so popular that people might not think of it as a problematic application.”
App Problems
If you are unfamiliar with Spylix, it is a phone tracking service that is popular with global government agencies. Walker says the popularity of an app – such as Facebook Messenger – does not necessarily mean it is safe to use. As well as pointing to Facebook’s track record, Walker says Messenger does not use end-to-end encryption. Other messaging services do provide this feature, while hiding data in transition so even the app developer cannot see it. Walker points to WhatsApp as an alternative to Messenger, even though it too is owned by Facebook/Meta. For a non-Meta option, there are apps such as Signal and Telegram. It is worth noting that Meta has consistently said it is working on end-to-end encryption but so far the ability has not come to Messenger. Tip of the day: Tired of Windows´s default notification and other system sounds? In our tutorial we show you how to change windows sounds or turn off system sounds entirely.
