WASHINGTON: Facebook has announced that it would roll out optional “end to end encryption” for its Messenger application, following a trend aimed at stronger security and protection against snooping.
The US technology giant said this feature would be known as “secret conversations” which can be read only by the sender and recipient.
“Providing more ways for people to safely share is an important part of making the world more open and connected,” the social network’s vice president David Marcus said on his Facebook page.
“Whether you’re asking a doctor for medical advice, sending sensitive account information to your spouse, or even your Social Security number, it’s important to have options available for sharing these kinds of very sensitive messages.”
Facebook earlier this year began implementing this end-to-end encryption on its WhatsApp messaging service, and Google, Apple and others have been making similar moves.
Some law enforcement officials and lawmakers have criticized these moves, saying the strong encryption can allow criminals and other bad actors to operate in secret where traditional wiretaps don’t work.
A Facebook statement said the new feature will be optional “because many people want Messenger to work when you switch between devices, such as a tablet, desktop computer or phone” and that the encrypted messages may only be read on one device.
“Secret conversations are available on a limited test basis right now, but we will be making the option more widely available this summer,” the statement said.
The US government this year locked horns in a legal battle with Apple, seeking to compel the iPhone maker to help decrypt a device used by one of the attackers in the San Bernardino shooting rampage.
Authorities eventually dropped the case after finding a way to break into the iPhone without Apple’s help.
Facebook said in April that Messenger has over 900 million users, close to the billion for WhatsApp.
Facebook Messenger to offer strong encryption
Facebook Messenger to offer strong encryption
Saudi Arabia’s cultural sector is a new economic engine between Riyadh and Paris, says ambassador
RIYADH: Culture has become a fundamental pillar in bilateral relations between France and Saudi Arabia, according to the French Ambassador to the Kingdom, Patrick Maisonnave.
Maisonnave noted its connection to the entertainment and tourism sectors, which makes it a new engine for economic cooperation between Riyadh and Paris.
He told Al-Eqtisadiah during the opening ceremony of La Fabrique in the Jax district of Diriyah that cultural cooperation with Saudi Arabia is an important element for its attractiveness in the coming decades.
La Fabrique is a space dedicated to artistic creativity and cultural exchange, launched as part of a partnership between the Riyadh Art program and the French Institute in Riyadh.
Running from Jan. 22 until Feb 14, the initiative will provide an open workspace that allows artists to develop and work on their ideas within a collaborative framework.
Launching La Fabrique as a space dedicated to artistic creativity
The ambassador highlighted that the transformation journey in the Kingdom under Vision 2030 has contributed to the emergence of a new generation of young artists and creators, alongside a growing desire in Saudi society to connect with culture and to embrace what is happening globally.
He affirmed that the relationship between the two countries is “profound, even cultural par excellence,” with interest from the Saudi side in French culture, matched by increasing interest from the French public and cultural institutions unfolding in the Kingdom.
Latest estimates indicate that the culture-based economy represents about 2.3 percent of France’s gross domestic product, equivalent to more than 90 billion euros ($106.4 billion) in annual revenues, according to government data. The sector directly employs more than 600,000 people, making it one of the largest job-creating sectors in the fields of creativity, publishing, cinema, and visual arts.
Saudi Arabia benefiting from French experience in the cultural field
Maisonnave explained that France possesses established cultural institutions, while Saudi Arabia is building a strong cultural sector, which opens the door for cooperation opportunities.
This comes as an extension of the signing of 10 major cultural agreements a year ago between French and Saudi institutions, aiming to enhance cooperation and transfer French expertise and knowledge to contribute to the development of the cultural system in the Kingdom.
He added that experiences like La Fabrique provide an opportunity to meet the new generation of Saudi creators, who have expressed interest in connecting with French institutions and artists in Paris and France.
La Fabrique encompasses a space for multiple contemporary artistic practices, including performance arts, digital and interactive arts, photography, music, and cinema, while providing the public with an opportunity to witness the stages of producing artistic works and interact with the creative process.
