Also this is one of the reasons why e2e encryption is so important. Meta had to comply with a warrant and wouldn’t have had to comply if it was impossible for them to.
You’re absolutely correct that it can be decrypted on either end but Meta should resist putting a backdoor in their app that allows this. If no other reason than it compels them to be in the middle of this criminal case.
Also Facebook Messenger already enables this (https://www.facebook.com/help/messenger-app/1084673321594605) but it’s not the default. It should be.
This is just basic privacy and for sure won’t protect you from a focused government attack but it’s a start.
I want to believe it's a safe system, but as-always it comes down to trusting trust. Without accountability, it's hard to take WhatsApp or iMessage or any E2EE service at face value. E2EE leaves so many exploits on the table that I basically treat it as marketing fluff.
Most places with legal abortions don't seem to allow them at 28 weeks so that would not have helped in this case.
There’s also other options still by going to other states, but the point is that by making it illegal you’re increasing the chances of it being unsafe.
But anyway, that’s as far as I’m wading into that subject here. Don’t feel like getting into politics so much as practicalities.
Abortion at up to 20 weeks was legal in her state at the time.
I have no idea why they chose pills on the Internet but I know that more people will do it themselves if they can’t legally go to a healthcare provider.