Thanks for the clarification. I think they added the "encrypt backup feature" after the first version was unencrypted. There was a dust-up about it on HN at the time, so likely they were pressured. 

But as you said, I don't really trust the E2E encryption anyways....

It's not the default, but there's an option to use E2EE:

![](https://m.stacker.news/142416)

But yeah, I think it shouldn't be possible to back up your chats unencrypted. Most WA users probably don't know and/or don't care, though. So as a business, especially as one that pioneered privacy invasion as a business model, I understand why it's the default.

One thing I know is true about WhatsApp is that they constantly nag you to "backup your chats" as if its some wonderful security feature they are offering you.

In reality when you "backup your chats" you are saving them encryption free on their servers. So meta gets to advertise "end-to-end encrypted chats" and then separately disclose "backups are not encrypted". So they can still data-mine you under the theater that your chats are secure.

tech

Texas sues Meta, WhatsApp over encryption privacy claims

m0wer

One thing I know is true about WhatsApp is that they constantly nag you to "backup your chats" as if its some wonderful security feature they are offering you. 

In reality when you "backup your chats" you are saving them encryption free on their servers. So meta gets to advertise "end-to-end encrypted chats" and then separately disclose "backups are not encrypted". So they can still data-mine you under the theater that your chats are secure.