ELI5: how end to end encryption works
// explanation
What is end-to-end encryption?
End-to-end encryption is like sending a locked box that only you and your friend have the key to open [2][4]. When you send a message, it gets locked up with a special code before it travels through the internet, and only the person you're sending it to can unlock it with their key [4].
Why do we need it?
Without encryption, your messages are like postcards that anyone handling them (like email servers or internet companies) can read [2]. End-to-end encryption makes sure only you and your friend can read what you wrote, even if the postcard gets passed through many hands [4].
How does the magic key work?
Your computer creates two special numbers using fancy math—one is a public key (like your mailbox) that anyone can see, and one is a private key (like your mailbox key) that only you have [1]. Your message gets locked with the public key, and only the private key can unlock it [1].
Is my message really safe?
Yes! Once your message is encrypted, it stays locked the entire time it travels to your friend, and even the company running the app can't read it [4].
// sources
Jun 5, 2021 ... Your computer generates two numbers using fancy math: one of them is used to encrypt the message and the other one is used to decrypt it.
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a secure communication process that encrypts data before transferring it to another endpoint. Data stays encrypted in ...
Jun 4, 2024 ... 55 votes, 86 comments. My Facebook messenger wants to end-to-encrypt my messages but I don't know what that means.
When E2EE is used, a message only appears in decrypted form for the person sending the message and the person receiving the message. The sender is one "end" of ...
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a secure way to transfer data from one user's device to a recipient's device while hiding the information from any intermediary.
Video by The Wall Street Journal
Video by Computerphile
Video by BBC News
