Ideas worth spreading

The future of digital communication and privacy

232,796 views | Will Cathcart • TED2020

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.)

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.)

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about the Global Encryption Coalition, which promotes and defends encryption worldwide.

Check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation's expert guide on surveillance self-defense to protect you and your friends from online spying.

About the speakers

Will Cathcart

Head of WhatsApp

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Will Cathcart is the head of WhatsApp, where he oversees development of the digital technologies that connect the world.

Chris Anderson

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After a long career in journalism and publishing, Chris Anderson became the curator of the TED Conference in 2002 and has developed it as a platform for identifying and disseminating ideas worth spreading.

Steven Levy | Penguin Books, 2002 | Book

Crypto: How the Code Rebels Beat the Government Saving Privacy in the Digital Age

Bruce Schneier | John Wiley & Sons, 1996 | Article

"Preface to Applied Cryptography"

Will Cathcart | The Washington Post, 2019 | Article

"Why WhatsApp is pushing back on NSO Group hacking"

Michael Hayden | Bloomberg.com, 2019 | Article

"Encryption Backdoors Won't Stop Crime But Will Hurt U.S. Tech"

Former Director of the National Security Agency explains why efforts to undermine end-to-end encryption will harm America's national security and economic interests.

Jim Baker | Lawfare, 2019 | Article

"Rethinking Encryption"

A number of prominent former officials in the national security and intelligence community have changed their minds on end-to-end encryption — having opposed it before but now embracing it for reasons of national security. Jim Baker, former FBI General Counsel, is one of them.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Learn more about the Global Encryption Coalition, which promotes and defends encryption worldwide.

Check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation's expert guide on surveillance self-defense to protect you and your friends from online spying.