The next time when you use Hangouts keep in mind that your conversation can be wire-tapped as the messaging service doesn’t employ end-to-end encryption, a fact that was recently admitted by Google itself.
The disclosure was made by the search giant at a recent Reddit AUA (Ask Us Anything) session when it was asked, “Why has Google refused to be transparent about its ability to provide wiretaps for Hangouts? Given Google’s rather impressive track record regarding surveillance transparency, the total secrecy regarding the company’s surveillance capabilities for this product is quite unusual.”
In its reply, Google – which was being represented by Director for Law Enforcement and Information Security Richard Salgado and Senior Privacy Policy Counsel David Lieber – said, “Hangouts are encrypted in transit, and we’re continuing to extend and strengthen encryption across more services,” thus making it clear that the Mountain View, California-based company can intercept Hangouts conversations when forced by law enforcement agencies or governments.
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