New Chrome extension hopes to demystify encryption
Google pressures email providers to step up their encryption of email sent between servers as the tech titan debuts End-to-End, a major new Chrome extension that promises to offer the first streamlined use of PGP in webmail.
GoogleGoogle launched a two-pronged attack against unencrypted email on Tuesday, divulging which webmail providers didn't encrypt their customers webmail while making it easier for individuals to implement the tough email encryption standard known as Pretty Good Privacy, or PGP, with a new browser add-on.
An update to Google's Transparency Report published today introduces a new section called Safer Email. Based on traffic Google sees from Gmail, the section describes a world of webmail where only about half of all email sent is encrypted from server to server.
Along with the Transparency Report update, which is aimed at pressuring more webmail providers to encrypt all server-to-server email transmissions, Google has released a rough alpha add-on called End-to-End. The Chrome extension will allow a first for webmail: streamlined, relatively easy-to-use PGP integration.
Although the tech titan didn't specifically cite the ongoing revelations of government spying from documents leaked by Edward Snowden, it's been clear over the past year since Snowden came forward that government spying has driven the development of these tools. While they might compete on product development, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and others have joined forces to fight against what they consider to be illegal government spying.
The tools would not change the policy of nearly all tech firms to comply with government subpoenas for information, although Microsoft recently reported that it defeated a government request on the grounds of its broad gag order.
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