WhatsApp messages can be intercepted by governments or hackers – but there's an easy way to fix it

WhatsApp has a gaping secuirty hole in the middle of its app. But it can be easily fixed. An issue with the way that the app deals with the security keys central to its encryption mean that people can actually spy on messages, one security researcher has found. End-to-end encryption is intended as a way of ensuring that messages can only be read by the sender and their intended recipient, but the encryption keys that power that technology can be a weak link if tehy are wrongly used. WhatsApp's implementation of end-to-end encryption – which is a large part of the company's focus on privacy and security – uses the widely-respected Signal protocol.