Edward Snowden expresses privacy concerns over unencrypted Google Allo chat app
Privacy campaigner and US fugitive Edward Snowden has urged the public not to use Google’s new chat app Allo over fears its unencrypted chat logs can easily be subpoenaed by the US government.
Snowden
Unlike WhatsApp, which features end-to-end encryption, the app by default sees all chats stored, and likely analysed, by the Google Assistant to provide tailored responses and in-chat aid.
The app launched in the US on Thursday (22 September) could potentially be a venerable source of information for US agencies if widely exploited, with him claiming US foreign intelligence could easily subpoena any data stored there.
Thinking about #Allo? Last year, our secret court approved 100% of requests for surveillance. They would cover Allo. https://t.co/oYtc3Pu8tx
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 21, 2016
Instead Snowden urged users to download Tor and use the Signal app.
Use Tor. Use Signal. https://t.co/VLvBsbVHKs
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 21, 2016
That was after he dubbed the app ‘Google Surveillance’.
Free for download today: Google Mail, Google Maps, and Google Surveillance. That's #Allo. Don't use Allo. https://t.co/EdPRC0G7Py
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 21, 2016
What is #Allo? A Google app that records every message you ever send and makes it available to police upon request. https://t.co/EdPRC0G7Py
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) September 21, 2016
Google Allo does come packaged with an Incognito mode that can adopt end-to-end decryption like WhatsApp – The Next Web claims this mode uses the same encryption tech as Signal – the service Snowden urged the public to download instead.