So in the new upcoming major feature update for IOS, Apple is adding RCS support in there messaging app. What are the privacy implications of adopting RCS?
Is there any other apps that have RCS support on Android other than Google’s own messaging app?
The reason for my asking is because I was considering migrating my relatives’ messaging app to a RCS supported one because they will probably most likely enjoy the extra bandwidth of RCS.
Note, they’re already using Signal, Telegram, and WhatsApp for most of their conversations.
I think using the RCS can raise legal issues if Google/Apple collects the messages, especially if you’re in the EU. I don’t remember how RCS works and I heard it can be E2E encrypted but seeing the comments makes me less sure about the safety of using it in a business environment. SMS isn’t encrypted at all and easy to intercept but there’s less chance of it being automatically collected for marketing purposes.
Using apps is better tbh unless you make your own apps to create more bloat and fragmentation. Here where I live nobody uses SMS anymore.
Pretty much all RCS goes through Google servers. They control all the implementations, even in the cases where a carrier has implemented it themselves they likely use Google Jibe system.
If your speaking to someone over RCS you should expect Google to be involved. Even with apple implementing it on iPhone. iPhones are likely to default to iMessage between each other, so the other user is likely an android so messages are getting routed through Google. It’s likely apples decision was based on pressure from Google and the billions of dollars they give apple every year.
Google has repeatedly made attempts to make a messaging app that have failed. RCS is their chosen method to get access to app messaging metadata and it looks to be working. They are displacing text messaging and making it look like nothings changed.
They get more of your data, so there’s that.