Rich Communication Services or RCS messages, a next-generation text messaging standard, on Android – the operating system owned by Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL Google have taken a major leap in ensuring user privacy.
What Happened: Google CEO Sundar Pichai shared his excitement about end-to-end encryption as the default setting for RCS messages. This means that messages sent via Google’s Messages app will remain shielded from both the tech giant and the carriers.
Group chats within the Messages app will also enjoy the benefits of this enhanced security measure, safeguarding user data from both prying eyes and internal services.
Besides encryption, RCS messages offer other appealing features such as typing indicators, read receipts, and the ability to share high-quality photos and videos.
These enhancements position RCS as a modernized alternative to standard SMS.
Why It’s Important: Google has been pushing hard to make RCS the norm for messaging. It even pressured Apple Inc. AAPL to adopt RCS.
The Tim Cook-led company’s preference for its own iMessage ecosystem remains unchanged, even though a cross-platform collaboration could potentially revolutionize messaging as we know it.
Google’s latest update in the RCS realm appears to level the playing field with iMessages, promising Android users a similar level of privacy with end-to-end encryption.
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