The GSM Affiliation (GSMA, no relation to us) has revealed new RCS specs that permit end-to-end encryption throughout platforms. RCS messages on Android have been end-to-end encrypted for years, however now the identical degree of safety can apply to messages despatched from Android to iOS or vice-versa, since Apple has lastly joined the RCS get together final yr.
In actual fact, Apple has already despatched out the next assertion on the matter:
Finish-to-end encryption is a robust privateness and safety know-how that iMessage has supported for the reason that starting, and now we’re happy to have helped lead a cross trade effort to carry end-to-end encryption to the RCS Common Profile revealed by the GSMA. We are going to add help for end-to-end encrypted RCS messages to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS in future software program updates.
Google mentioned this:
We’ve all the time been dedicated to offering a safe messaging expertise, and Google Messages customers have had end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) RCS messaging for years. We’re excited to have this up to date specification from GSMA and work as shortly as potential with the cell ecosystem to implement and prolong this necessary consumer safety to cross-platform RCS messaging.
So it appears to be like like RCS will achieve yet one more necessary function for cross-platform messaging. Will this lastly persuade North American iMessage customers to deal with inexperienced bubbles the identical as blue ones? Most likely not, however the GSMA, Google, and Apple are doing all they’ll right here.
