Hey Shared Security friends —
Good news if you have ever been judged by a green bubble: Apple and Google are finally making cross-platform texting more secure.
In episode 435 of Shared Security, Tom Eston and Kevin Tackett discuss the rollout of end-to-end encrypted RCS messaging between iPhone and Android users. It is a real privacy improvement for everyday conversations, especially because most people assume their texts are already protected when they absolutely are not.
But this does not mean texting is magically fixed. SMS is still likely to hang around as a fallback, platform trust still matters, and metadata can still tell a story even when message contents are encrypted. For truly sensitive conversations, Tom and Kevin still land on the same practical advice: use Signal.
The episode also gets into the weird social baggage around blue bubbles and green bubbles, why invisible security improvements matter, and why the best privacy features are the ones normal people do not have to think about.
Also worth your attention this week
Ransomware gangs are getting more physical: The FBI warned that Silent Ransom Group has targeted law firms with in-person data theft attempts after phone/email social engineering fails. Key point: security awareness cannot stop at phishing — visitor verification, USB policy, and “is this really IT?” escalation paths matter. Source: https://cyberscoop.com/fbi-warning-silent-ransom-group-law-firms/
License plate reader mission creep keeps expanding: EFF highlighted ALPR use cases moving beyond serious crime into school residency checks, background checks, and noise complaints. Key point: surveillance databases rarely stay limited to the original “public safety” justification. Source: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/05/more-license-plate-reader-mission-creep-school-residency-verification-background
Deepfakes are now a school/community crisis: 404 Media covered how deepfake abuse can devastate a high school environment. Key point: families, schools, and platforms need practical plans for AI-generated harassment, evidence handling, and victim support now — not someday. Source: https://www.404media.co/podcast-how-deepfakes-destroyed-a-high-school/
Links from the episode
EFF: Victory! End-to-End Encrypted RCS Comes to Apple and Android Chats — https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/05/victory-end-end-encrypted-rcs-comes-apple-and-android-chats
Apple Newsroom: End-to-end encrypted RCS messaging begins rolling out in beta — https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/05/end-to-end-encrypted-rcs-messaging-begins-rolling-out-today-in-beta/
Quote From This Week’s Episode
“Any time we can implement any type of end-to-end encryption for the general user, this is a good thing.”
— Tom Eston
Listen / Watch
🎧 Audio Podcast: https://sharedsecurity.net/2026/05/25/should-ai-have-access-to-your-financial-life/
▶️ YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/ytcYC2B13go
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Thank you to our Sponsors!
Special thanks to Guardsquare for sponsoring this episode! Guardsquare is the leader in mobile application security, with multi-layered protection for your Android and iOS apps. Learn more at Guardsquare.com.
🎁 Get 10% off your order of high quality faraday products built to protect your privacy from SLNT! Visit: https://slnt.com and use discount code "sharedsecurity" at checkout.
Closing
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Stay safe, stay secure, stay private, and maybe stop bullying the green bubbles.
Tom Eston
Founder and Host, Shared Security Podcast
