Messaging Apps

Video credit: Messaging Apps – posted by The Digital Tattoo Project on Youtube

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How secure are messaging apps relative to texting?
- Much less secure.
- About as secure.
- Much more secure.
Not necessarily - remember that these messages are legally distinct from texts and familiarize yourself with laws around the issue. It's safe to assume anything you send - emails, texts, messages - can be surveilled.
This may be true - but remember that they aren't text messages and may be treated differently in a court of law. It can also be easier for attackers to intercept messages than texts.
Not necessarily - attackers can more easily intercept non-cellular messages (although both are vulnerable) and it's safe to assume (if perhaps paranoid) that anything sent over telecom, encrypted or not, is vulnerable to surveillance - government or otherwise!
Do you send images, videos and voice messages using messaging apps?
- Of course! It’s super convenient!
- Some of them. I’d send more if the messages disappeared after 24 hours.
- Not at all. I don’t feel safe.
This is true! It is especially useful as you can share information with your friends in different forms of media. Sometimes words may not be enough to describe what you want to express.
This seems to be a way to protect yourself when using these apps. However these messages could still be intercepted by an attacker, or captured using screenshots when they are available.
You should give them a shot! But you are also right. We have to be mindful of the potential risks.
Do you respond to people you don’t know on messaging apps?
- Yes. What’s the problem?
- Sometimes, depending on the content.
- No. They are all scams.
You may want to be more careful with these messages. Sometimes they might be attackers trying to steal sensitive personal information from you. Read our blog post for a real story from a UBC student.
You have a point – messaging apps are now widely used for personal and professional communication purposes, but scammers also take advantage of the convenience of these apps.
Not necessarily – sometimes they could be people who genuinely want to reach you, such as a friend or a colleague. However always being cautious about these messages is important for protecting yourself from online frauds.

Explore

Messaging applications for smartphones have experienced an atmospheric rise in the last decade. In April 2013, a study found that the volume of messages sent by texting apps overtook messages sent by SMS. This trend has only continued: in 2022, WhatsApp reported having 2.4 billion users in 180 countries. Besides WhatsApp, the most popular apps include Snapchat, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram. These applications send messages for no cost across a wifi or network connection.

These messages are often casual in nature yet it is important to remember that messages sent with any platform can impact your digital identity. While the message might have been intended for one particular person, it can be easily shared across the internet heavily impacting the reputation of the original author.

Sexting, or sharing sexually explicit images by text message, is an activity that many young adults underestimate in terms of its consequences. These images are usually sent with assumed confidence that the other person would never share them. However, relationships may change over time. Images shared in trust can be vindictively spread online or even hacked without the recipient’s knowledge. Sexting is a crime if the creators or recipients are under 18; child pornography charges might be laid even if no images were shared.

- Your text message or photo is one click away from being forwarded to another person’s entire contact list and so on and so forth… Consider what you want to pass on. Practice constructing messages you do want everyone to see.
- “Sexting becomes a legal issue when teens (under 18) are involved because any nude photos they may send of themselves would put the recipients in possession of child pornography” (Wikipedia). This includes apps like TikTok and Snapchat.
- Remember that information lasts forever on the internet. Even if you are using the disappearing chat function on messaging apps, your words can still be screenshot by the recipient and stored as images.
- You are probably already a pro at networking – at least in a casual, social way. As you move forward in your academic and professional lives, it is a good idea to think about how you can hone these skills for a different audience and purpose.

Discuss

The Digital Tattoo Project encourages critical discussion on topics surrounding digital citizenship and online identity. There are no correct answers and every person will view these topics from a different perspective. Be sure to complete the previous sections before answering the questions.

What third party providers are you trusting with your information?
Do you send information using messaging apps that you would like to keep confidential?

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