All British Army personnel, including senior officers, will now face disciplinary action if they're caught using WhatsApp over fears that Russia is using phone data to choose airstrike targets
UK soldiers could face strict disciplinary action if they're caught using WhatsApp, as the British Army moves to ban the app for active personnel.
Everyone from senior officers to low-ranking soldiers have been instructed to stop using WhatsApp for professional purposes due to "significant security concerns" surround the app.
According to the Daily Mail, an official Ministry of Defence memo insisted that "all Field Army personnel are to cease the use of WhatsApp for work-related communications immediately.
"WhatsApp should only ever be used as a method of last resort defined as: a means of communication which should only be used in circumstances where failure to do so would result in death, serious injury or operational compromise."
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354 sats \ 1 reply \ @wingalt 9 Jan
Quite of ironical that in a continent where encryption and FOSS are constantly attacked the clowns in charge realize that they also need it for their own safety. Everybody needs encryption it has become the bedrock of civilization whether they like it or not
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556 sats \ 0 replies \ @final 10 Jan
It's twice as ironic once you realise pretty much all the senior politicians use WhatsApp in one way or another. Security recommendations for everyone else, except the ones who really should be caring about them.
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What if they were just trying to hit up their GFs
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0 sats \ 3 replies \ @fm 9 Jan
they must chage to Telegram
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71 sats \ 2 replies \ @ek OP 9 Jan
TG doesn't even use E2EE by default so it's maybe even worse for military usage
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15 sats \ 0 replies \ @fm 9 Jan
im being 100% sarcastic :p
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @guts 9 Jan
Telegram is more akin to Discord with optional secret chats. If it's military personel no brainer they need to use something else than Zucks app.
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Signal or what?
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Yes, they recommend Signal:
The ban is set to cover all voice calls and messaging, with troops being told to use Signal, an app similar to WhatsApp but with stronger security features that are favoured by MI6.
Conversations on the app are not backed up or stored unlike on WhatsApp, which means they're less at risk from prying eyes.
if that was your question
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Can confirm I've spoken to actual military/govt/etc. people who used Signal officially.
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Yup
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @guts 9 Jan
SimpleX is better.
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I keep hearing Session is better.
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Do you think that there's really espionage going on. Or it's more damage control in terms of controlling a narrative of 'facts on the ground'?