End-to-end encryption is one of the most important privacy technologies available to everyday people. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Here is what it actually means.
Encryption in transit vs. end-to-end.
Most apps encrypt your messages in transit — meaning the data is scrambled as it travels between your device and the server. But the server can read it. The company running the platform can read it. And if required by law, they can hand it over.
End-to-end encryption is different. Your message is encrypted on your device, before it leaves. The key to decrypt it only exists on the devices of the intended recipients. The server — and the company running it — never sees the plaintext. There is nothing to hand over because there is nothing to read.
With end-to-end encryption, we couldn't read your messages even if we wanted to. That's the point.
What E2EE protects.
It protects the content of your messages from the company, from hackers who might compromise the server, and from government requests. A data breach that exposes the server reveals nothing about your conversations. A court order served to us cannot unlock what we cannot read.
What it does not protect.
End-to-end encryption protects content, not metadata. We still know who sent a message and when — that information is necessary to route it. We are explicit about this in our Privacy Policy, and we collect only what we need.
It also does not protect you if the device on the other end is compromised. If someone has physical access to an unlocked phone, they can read the messages on it. That is a device security problem, not an encryption problem.
How Conch implements it.
Every private message on Conch is end-to-end encrypted by default — you do not need to turn it on or find a "secret chat" mode. It is not a feature. It is how the product works.
Written by Conch Team
The team behind Conch — building private, people-first communication.