What Is End-to-End Encryption?

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) ensures only you and the recipient can read or view your communications. Learn how it applies to video chat.

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a security method where your data is encrypted on your device before it's sent, and can only be decrypted by the intended recipient's device. No one in between — not the internet provider, not the platform operator, not hackers intercepting the data — can read or view the content.

How End-to-End Encryption Works

Think of E2EE like a physical letter in a locked box:

  1. You write a letter (your message or video stream)
  2. You lock it in a box that only the recipient has the key to (encryption)
  3. The postal service carries the locked box (data transmission over the internet)
  4. The recipient unlocks it with their key (decryption)

The postal service (platform/ISP) carries the box but can never look inside. Even if someone intercepts the box in transit, they can't open it without the key.

Technically, this uses public-key cryptography:

  • Each device generates a pair of keys: one public, one private
  • The public key encrypts data; the private key decrypts it
  • Devices exchange public keys, then encrypt all data with the recipient's public key
  • Only the recipient's private key (which never leaves their device) can decrypt the data

E2EE in Video Chat

WebRTC, the technology powering most modern video chat (including Glimr), provides built-in encryption for all media streams:

  • DTLS (Datagram Transport Layer Security) encrypts the signaling channel
  • SRTP (Secure Real-Time Protocol) encrypts the actual audio and video data

In a peer-to-peer WebRTC connection, your video stream is encrypted before it leaves your browser and decrypted when it arrives at the other person's browser. The platform's server never handles the encrypted media stream, so it's effectively end-to-end encrypted by architecture.

Important caveat: This only applies to the media stream (video/audio). Text messages sent through the platform's server (as opposed to WebRTC data channels) may not be E2EE — they pass through the server which could theoretically read them.

E2EE vs Transport Encryption

Not all encryption is end-to-end. There's a crucial distinction:

| Type | How it works | Who can access content | |------|-------------|----------------------| | End-to-End Encryption | Encrypted on your device, decrypted on recipient's device | Only you and the recipient | | Transport Encryption (TLS) | Encrypted between your device and the server | The platform operator can access content at the server |

Many platforms use transport encryption (HTTPS/TLS) and call themselves "encrypted," but the platform operator can still access your data at the server. True E2EE means even the platform can't see your content.

Which Video Chat Platforms Use E2EE?

  • WebRTC-based peer-to-peer platforms (like Glimr) — Media streams are inherently encrypted end-to-end because they go directly between browsers
  • Signal — Full E2EE for all communications including video calls
  • WhatsApp — E2EE for 1-on-1 video calls
  • Zoom — Optional E2EE (not enabled by default for all plans)
  • Google Meet — Transport encryption only (Google can access streams)

Why E2EE Matters

E2EE is the gold standard for communication privacy because:

  • Platform breaches don't expose your content — even if hackers steal server data, your conversations are encrypted
  • Government requests — platforms can't hand over what they don't have access to
  • Employee access — no rogue employee can spy on your conversations
  • Trust — you don't need to trust the platform; the math protects you

For random video chat, the P2P nature of WebRTC connections means your video conversations are encrypted by default — a privacy advantage built into the architecture.

Definition

A security method where data is encrypted on the sender's device and can only be decrypted by the recipient, preventing anyone in between (including the platform) from accessing the content.

Category: Technology