Encrypted Messaging Apps Like WhatsApp, Viber On The Spotlight, GOP Demands Answers From EPA

Feb 16, 2017 11:16 AM EST | Leian N.

Some members of the U.S. Congress raised their concerns about the Environmental Protection Agency's use of texting and encrypted chat applications such as Sigal to inform citizens about government announcements and personal matters.

Encryption, unlike e-mails, retains an online platform user exclusive access to his or her messages through applications such as Viber, WhatsApp, and Signal. In fact, tech firms and privacy advocates support the idea that encryption is a strong standard to afford protection of privacy and communications of online users, reported CNET. However, federal employees do not agree with this notion.

Some members of Congress are demanding an investigation into the Environmental Protection Agency for allowing the use of texting and chatting through encrypted smartphone and other gadget applications to distinguish citizens and use this method as an information dissemination method.

The Congress continue to believe that if the administration uses encrypted messages as the standard communication platform in the U.S., terrorists will find this application to their advantage. They would improve their ways to coordinate with each other through e-mails and leave the defense strategies of terrorists undetected. In fact, earlier this month, federal employees with concerns about Trump's administration have also resorted to using encrypted messaging apps.

As reported by ZD Net, the end-to-end encrypted messaging service is a new tech development feature. In fact, the source suggested that the service can hide users' messages from hackers or even federal agents. Is this why the government does not agree with the system?

Encrypted messaging apps are currently under scrutiny by the U.S. Congress. Although tech companies and privacy advocates claim that this would secure the users or U.S. citizens' security, will Donald Trump's administration fail to keep the country safe due to people's ability to hide communications from the government itself?

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