When news stories say WhatsApp and Signal are “hacked” by Paragon’s Graphite, it’s important to know it’s not magic; it’s malware. If installed, it’s like giving your unlocked phone to Paragon and ICE. But, it’s too costly to use widely, and even if you’re targeted you can defend

This DOES NOT break end-to-end encryption between devices. Only saved chats are captured on an infected device. That means deleting old or unnecessary chats and turning on disappearing messages can mitigate everyone's risk. (3/8) #disappearing-messages class="text-blue-500 hover:underline" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://ssd.eff.org/module/how...

This malware is stealthy, a warning from Apple/Google is the only definite sign you’re infected (in which case, take it offline and email info@eff.org). Otherwise, frequent reboots and system updates seem to clear Graphite. As a more extreme precaution, a factory reset protects

You can take other precautions to prevent malware infection in the first place. On iPhone, lockdown mode can block features used to load malware, like opening attachments in the Messages app. (5/8) https://ssd.eff.org/module/how...

Android users can enable Advanced Protection to similarly block features used to load malicious software, like sideloading apps, though this may disrupt using some alternative app stores. (6/8) #enable-advanced-protection class="text-blue-500 hover:underline" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://ssd.eff.org/module/how...

After these steps, Signal and Whatsapp should be safe to use with routine data hygiene, like installing updates and minimizing your number of installed apps. It only takes one malware infected user to compromise a whole chat, so be cautious about sharing sensitive information in

Cases like this are reminders that privacy is a team sport. Protect yourself and your community by sharing these tips and our Surveillance Self-Defense guides. (8/8) https://ssd.eff.org