Learning from Sheryl Sandberg

The future of digital communication and privacy

People send 100 billion WhatsApp messages every day -- and they're all encrypted to protect them from potentially curious entities like companies, governments and even WhatsApp itself. With our increased reliance on digital communication tools during the COVID-19 pandemic, our fundamental right to privacy is more important than ever, says Will Cathcart, head of WhatsApp. He describes the tech and protocols the company built to prevent encryption services from being misused to spread disinformation or commit crimes -- while still safeguarding privacy. (This virtual conversation, hosted by head of TED Chris Anderson, was recorded June 16, 2020.)
Sheryl Sandberg
Entrepreneur, Writer
Sharing a fascinating conversation with Will Cathcart and TED’s Chris Anderson about WhatsApp and the benefits of end-to-end encryption in private messaging. They talk about how WhatsApp is being used during the pandemic, and how encryption keeps conversations in sensitive areas like health care private. As Will says, “we think we need to have end-to-end encryption and products like WhatsApp that are secure so you know those conversations are safe”.