E2EE for messaging went from an enthusiast-only technology to something everyone takes for granted in the majority of messaging apps.

E2EE for messaging went from an enthusiast-only technology to something everyone takes for granted in the majority of messaging apps. How?

No mass-market user ever asked for encrypted messaging.

But everyone would prefer it at the margin when given the choice.

This sets up the conditions for a cascade with the right trigger.

Moxie Marlinspike made it his personal mission to move the world to E2EE by default.

Jan Koum, one of WhatsApp's founders, grew up in Ukraine and was personally motivated to have E2EE in his product.

The combination tipped the world into a cascade where now E2EE is everywhere and you couldn't even go back if you wanted.

When users all want something, even lightly, then all it takes is the right catalyst to kick off the cascade.

Over long enough time horizons, the likelihood of such a catalyst happening approaches 100%.