A new feature has been introduced in WhatsApp to allow users to encrypt their chat backups when uploaded to iCloud.
Currently, chat histories uploaded to iCloud do not have end-to-end encryption due to the fact that Apple will have jurisdiction over it. WhatsApp aims to resolve this by giving users the option to protect their chat history via passwords before uploading it to the Apple cloud platform, which makes it more secure.
Encrypted chat backups is set to become available in both iOS and Android systems and in markets where people could download and use WhatsApp. The new feature may catch the attention of a few governments and cause a stir, and will be rolling out several weeks from now.
Apple’s iCloud and Private Relay is not available in certain countries, including the Philippines, Uganda, Turkmenistan, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Colombia, Belarus and China due to ‘regulatory reasons’.
