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Comment by ndeast | Hacker News Reader

I have long since switched to only doing local encrypted backups, but for some reason it never clicked that of course all of my messages are included in other people's backups. Frustrating that its E2E with a bunch of caveats.

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E2EE only applies to data in transit, not data at rest. Talking via E2EE chat client means only that third parties in between cannot read what you write. It doesn't imply the messages cannot be recovered from your device, or your conversation partner's device, and it definitely does not imply said partner can't just leak them, whether accidentally or on purpose.

I'm not sure how E2EE came to be interpreted as to mean "totally secure against everything".

I think it's the colloquial meaning of "end", as in "be all end all". I'd think something like "full in-transit encryption" or even "phone to phone" would be clearer.

It's also how data collection still works if you personally 'block' it but communicate with others who don't.

Your messages, phone book, pictures you share with others etc. are still 'readable' on the remote end and thus still get collected. And if you connect the dots when you have a large collections your personal data can be reconstructed from that.

If you have persons A, B, C and D in your phone book, but your phone book is 'secret', it doesn't prevent someone from knowing that you know A to D if those still have you listed.

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