On Mar 2, 2014, at 10:38 PM, John Robinson wrote:

> Now a question to those that would know.  I hear Lee and others talking about 
> encryption in our emails, needing the "key" on both ends.  If Apple can do 
> this with iMessage then why can't they do it with our mail?  Because they 
> control the entire package with iMessage and they can't with all the various 
> email services?  Guessing.

The strong encryption with iMessage only works if you're communicating with 
someone else who's also using iMessage. Apple has to control both ends of the 
conversation to ensure security. Remember, iMessage is built into the Messages 
app in iOS, so when you send a text to someone who is using iOS or OS X, you'll 
get security. If you use Messages to send a text to someone using another 
operating system (Android, Windows, etc.), there is no security.

The same problem arises with email. You can only send encrypted email to 
someone who has taken the trouble to share a public key with you. I make my 
public keys readily available, but there are few people who use them to encrypt 
email to me.

Unencrypted email is just like sending all your snail mail on postcards. 
Encrypted mail is like sending your snail mail in an envelope nobody but the 
intended recipient can open. I've been encouraging people to use encrypted 
email for many years, but it seems most people just don’t  care who sees their 
email.



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