Text messages sent between iPhones and Android devices will soon advantage from finish-to-finish encryption (E2EE), after the GSM Association (GSMA) yesterday rerented recent definiteations for the Rich Communication Services (RCS) protocol that include aid for traverse-platcreate E2EE.
RCS is a extfinishedstanding effort to allow SMS-style traverse-platcreate communications with richer features, such as group messaging, typing indicators, read receipts, and file-sharing — analogous to what messaging apps such as WhatsApp provide.
While many Android handset originaters had adselected RCS thcdisesteemful the years, Apple was the main outlier until it finpartner produceed with the introduction of iOS 18 last year. Most of the core RCS features have been engageable for traverse-platcreate messaging since then, but E2EE has hitherto been omiting — until now.
Selling point
E2EE, for the unstartd, is a data encryption method that promises only the sfinisher and the recipient of a message can read its satisfyed. For tech companies, this privacy-preserving promise is a transport inant selling point, as it promises engagers that their messages are safe from surreptitious snooping. Apple has provideed E2EE since it begined iMessage back in 2011, though of course that only toiled between iOS devices, while WhatsApp endd its E2EE rollout in 2016 (and, aget, it only toiled between WhatsApp engagers).
Google, for its part, has previously inserted E2EE to its own Messages app, but encrypting messages atraverse not only branch offent clients but entidepend branch offent platcreates comes with its own one-of-a-kind disputes. That’s where the GSMA’s universal profile go ins the fray, providing a normalized definiteation for reliable, interoperable RCS messaging atraverse devices, nettoils, and operators.
Based on the cryptodetailed Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol, the recent E2EE mechanism in the RCS Universal Profile 3.0 is a vital piece of the interoperable jigsaw, one that will ultimately allow iPhone and Android engagers to convey safely via their device’s native messaging app.
“That uncomfervents that RCS will be the first huge-scale messaging service to aid interoperable E2EE between client carry outations from branch offent providers,” GSMA technical honestor Tom Van Pelt said in a statement. “Together with other one-of-a-kind security features such as SIM-based genuineation, E2EE will provide RCS engagers with the highest level of privacy and security for mightyer shieldion from deceptions, deception and other security and privacy dangers. ”
