Don’t Use Google Messaging App, ‘Allo’ – Says Edward Snowden

Image Credit: o.twimg.com Image Credit: o.twimg.com
Image Credit: o.twimg.com

After the launch of the messaging app, Allo, it seems like some people aren’t supporting it.

Edward Snowden; a computer professional and former Central Intelligence Agency employee on Wednesday warned people about the lack of privacy on Google’s recently launched messaging app Allo, and advised them not to use it.

Google Allo sports the AI-based Google Assistant, a virtual assistant or bot that can respond to queries and otherwise assist the user. The chat app also uses machine learning for its Smart reply feature. To improve both features over time, and personalise to the user, Google says it needs to store you chat data on its servers.

During this year’s Google I/O event, google highlighted the privacy options are available to the consumers through the app.

Edward Snowden; a computer professional and former Central Intelligence Agency employee. Image Credit: wikimedia.org
Edward Snowden; a computer professional and former Central Intelligence Agency employee. Image Credit: wikimedia.org

At the time, the team behind the app said that the app will only keep temporary message logs but confirmed on Wednesday that it will store all non-incognito messages until a user deletes them. While data would be encrypted between the device and Google servers, on the servers itself Google will be able to read the messages, NDTV news reports.

Edward Snowden posted several tweets in the criticism of the app, defining it as “A Google app that records every message you ever send and makes it available to police upon request.”

Looks like Snowden isn’t the only person that is encouraging people not to use the messaging app, we managed to get a few other tweets supporting the non usage of the app.