An official FBI document dated January 2021, obtained by the American association “Property of People” through the Freedom of Information Act.

This document summarizes the possibilities for legal access to data from nine instant messaging services: iMessage, Line, Signal, Telegram, Threema, Viber, WeChat, WhatsApp and Wickr. For each software, different judicial methods are explored, such as subpoena, search warrant, active collection of communications metadata (“Pen Register”) or connection data retention law (“18 USC§2703”). Here, in essence, is the information the FBI says it can retrieve:

  • Apple iMessage: basic subscriber data; in the case of an iPhone user, investigators may be able to get their hands on message content if the user uses iCloud to synchronize iMessage messages or to back up data on their phone.

  • Line: account data (image, username, e-mail address, phone number, Line ID, creation date, usage data, etc.); if the user has not activated end-to-end encryption, investigators can retrieve the texts of exchanges over a seven-day period, but not other data (audio, video, images, location).

  • Signal: date and time of account creation and date of last connection.

  • Telegram: IP address and phone number for investigations into confirmed terrorists, otherwise nothing.

  • Threema: cryptographic fingerprint of phone number and e-mail address, push service tokens if used, public key, account creation date, last connection date.

  • Viber: account data and IP address used to create the account; investigators can also access message history (date, time, source, destination).

  • WeChat: basic data such as name, phone number, e-mail and IP address, but only for non-Chinese users.

  • WhatsApp: the targeted person’s basic data, address book and contacts who have the targeted person in their address book; it is possible to collect message metadata in real time (“Pen Register”); message content can be retrieved via iCloud backups.

  • Wickr: Date and time of account creation, types of terminal on which the application is installed, date of last connection, number of messages exchanged, external identifiers associated with the account (e-mail addresses, telephone numbers), avatar image, data linked to adding or deleting.

TL;DR Signal is the messaging system that provides the least information to investigators.

  • argv_minus_one@beehaw.orgEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    Takeaways:

    • End-to-end encryption works.
    • The only trustworthy computer is your computer. Don’t use cloud storage.
    • The only trustworthy software is open-source software. Proprietary software serves the interests of the proprietor, not the user.

    All of this was already well-known, of course, but it’s always nice to get confirmation.

  • tram1@programming.devEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Telegram states at their site that: “To this day, we have disclosed 0 bytes of user data to third parties, including governments.”

    But according to Spiegel this is false. I don’t know German, I read the article using google translate, correct me if I’m wrong.

    Here is a quote from the article: “Contrary to what has been publicly stated so far, the operators of the messenger app Telegram have released user data to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) in several cases.”

    If this is true, the fact that they are lying is very worrying…

  • TemporaryBoyfriend@lemmy.caEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    And FYI, the info about Signal was confirmed as they received a subpoena a couple years back, and their response was part of the public court records.

    • ehrenschwan@feddit.deEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Yeah, Signals response pointing to how their service works and than all the data consisting of only these two things war hilarious.

  • GuyDudeman@beehaw.orgEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    Here’s my foolproof method of not having any issue with the FBI: Don’t do illegal stuff.

    • jherazob@beehaw.orgEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      Tell that to trans people in Florida, or people seeking abortion healthcare on Texas

      • GuyDudeman@beehaw.orgEnglish
        0·
        1 year ago

        It’s not illegal to be trans anywhere in the us.

        The FBI deals with federal matters, not state matters.

    • MagicShel@programming.devEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      While Don’t break the law, asshole is solid advice for staying off the FBI’s radar, it’s not really a guarantee.

      • GuyDudeman@beehaw.orgEnglish
        0·
        1 year ago

        There are no guarantees in life. Who’s to say that the FBI didn’t write this article specifically to direct people to use Signal?

    • flora_explora@beehaw.orgEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      This is such a bad take lacking any solidarity with people that have no choice in doing illegal stuff or who are trying their best to make the world a better place. What is legal or illegal is solely defined by governments. In the context of the US, it is now illegal in some parts to have an abortion, to be transgender, to be an immigrant, to be black, etc. So “don’t do illegal stuff” is a reminder of your privileged position to be able to lean back and have nothing to fear, while other people just by existing or by trying to survive automatically are considered illegal. And think of all the whistleblowers like Edward Snowden. We as peole are much better off because of them, yet they have to fear the state’s repressions.

      Your response makes me really angry just by how inconsiderate and insulting it is :(

  • Napain@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    1 year ago

    i love how telegram isn’t even encrypted or anything but they just ghost the authorities