[ikeboy]

Are you assuming that all storage ends up on Google's servers (because that's what hangouts does, maybe)?

Why can't it store E2E chats locally and never upload to google, or even encrypt with a passphrase like Chrome sync does?

[ComodoHacker]

Congrats, you have dug it down to the core. Google just doesn't need chats that it can't mine for useful data.

[ikeboy]

Then why build E2E at all?

[ComodoHacker]

To stay competitive (or perceived so).

[ikeboy]

So you're suggesting Google crippled the feature so it doesn't get used? This seems unlikely.

[tdkl]

For Google privacy is a problem, since they want as much data they can get. So they've put in "incognito" so it sounds modern enough what competitors have with E2E, but they'll try and make it inconvenient and not default as much as they can.

Of course they won't be open about this, because they're making the world a better place <insertcuteemojihere>