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Beeper reverse-engineered iMessage to bring blue bubble texts to Android users (techcrunch.com)

submitted 11 months ago by L4s@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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Beeper reverse-engineered iMessage to bring blue bubble texts to Android users::The push to bring iMessage to Android users today adds a new contender. A startup called Beeper, which had been working on a multi-platform messaging

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[+] Fades@lemmy.world -14 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

In exchange for security loss, is it really worth it?

Edit: the downvotes are very expected. You people need to lean about why this is important

https://www.androidauthority.com/beeper-app-opinion-3345142/

First, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed: security. In Beeper’s start-up guide, the first thing you see is a huge alert box: “Beeper may be less secure than using encrypted chat apps by themselves.” Fundamentally, there’s no way to fix this. To use any of the chat apps, you need to link Beeper to that service using your credentials, which is inherently more insecure than logging into the app directly. Beeper is quick to defend itself by pointing out its robust privacy policy, its ethical business practices with a user-centered focus, and its use of end-to-end encryption (E2EE). However, that doesn’t protect your credentials from hackers that could gain access to Beeper and send your grandma a message through WhatsApp pretending to be you and asking to wire $1,000 to an account in China.

More in depth: https://www.reddit.com/r/beeper/comments/13hhx9e/transient_key_retention_a_suggestion_to_solve/?rdt=61709

[–] drislands@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

What security loss, mate?

[–] Fades@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

These: https://www.androidauthority.com/beeper-app-opinion-3345142/

First, the elephant in the room needs to be addressed: security. In Beeper’s start-up guide, the first thing you see is a huge alert box: “Beeper may be less secure than using encrypted chat apps by themselves.” Fundamentally, there’s no way to fix this. To use any of the chat apps, you need to link Beeper to that service using your credentials, which is inherently more insecure than logging into the app directly. Beeper is quick to defend itself by pointing out its robust privacy policy, its ethical business practices with a user-centered focus, and its use of end-to-end encryption (E2EE). However, that doesn’t protect your credentials from hackers that could gain access to Beeper and send your grandma a message through WhatsApp pretending to be you and asking to wire $1,000 to an account in China.

More in depth: https://www.reddit.com/r/beeper/comments/13hhx9e/transient_key_retention_a_suggestion_to_solve/?rdt=61709

[–] Stephen304@lemmy.ml 5 points 11 months ago

That's about beeper, not beeper mini. Mini was just launched, that's older information that only applies to the MITM version (beeper which is now beeper cloud).

Beeper mini talks directly to the services you use, no MITM, which is why they plan on adding more services to mini until it can replace the older Beeper (cloud).

[–] drislands@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

My understanding is that this absolutely applies to their previous iterations, but not this -- there's no authenticating with your Apple ID, for example. It's sending and receiving iMessage data directly between the Apple servers and your device, now.