A new technology will now enable Facebook users to encode secret messages in the picture they upload on the social networking website.The creator of the technology is Owen-Campbell Moore - an Oxford University student and former Google intern.
Moore's plugin, titled "Secretbook", lets Facebook users share messages hidden in JPEG images without the prying eyes of others, reports News.com.au.
All the user has to do is download the plugin, refresh his Facebook page, and hit ctrl+alt+A. A dialogue will appear which allows the user to upload an image with an encoded message.
The plugin is only available on Google Chrome. Moore said he built it in Chrome to preserve users' privacy.
Moore said he built Secretbook to demonstrate that JPEG steganography can be performed on social media where it has previously been impossible.
Facebook's apps publicly list their users so building it within the social network would defeat the purpose of the app. Running it through a web browser means users can't be detected by Facebook's network analysis.
This technology creates a brand new security threat, as criminals or terror organisations could potentially use the app to share plans.
Facebook and the Australian Federal Police already work together and use a number of different tools including identification technology to investigate online criminal behaviour.
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