Google faces flak for claiming that all text sent via Google Messages are end-to-end encrypted

Google is facing backlash for allegedly misleading users about the encryption capabilities of its messaging app, Google Messages. While the app offers end-to-end encryption for some conversations, its marketing materials, including those on the Google Play Store, suggest a more robust and comprehensive level of security than is actually available. However, RCS in its default state lacks encryption, making it less secure than apps like Signal or WhatsApp, which offer E2EE by default for all communications. This limitation has fuelled criticism, with tech blogger John Gruber calling Google’s claims about encryption “shamefully misleading” and “downright fraudulent.” The tech blogger has urged Google to be more transparent about the conditional nature of its E2EE implementation, arguing that its current marketing presents an overly optimistic picture of security.