[Story] U-06: Message from Bob is decorated with "Verified identity has changed"

[andybalaam]

Description

As Alice
When I am receiving a message from Bob
And we have verified each other with Bob in the past
But Bob's identity has changed after this
Then I want to see Bob's message decorated with "Verified identity has changed"
So that I can be aware that this may be malicious but I can continue conversation to determine how to proceed

As Alice
When I have re-verified Bob or withdrawn verification after Bob's identity changed
Then I want Bob's past messages no longer be decorated with "Verified identity has changed"
So that the current state of the verification is reflected.

Note: currently a message from a verified-identity that has changed, is not decrypted but instead a static text of "Verified identity has changed" is shown.

Designs

• iOS | Android | Web

Acceptance criteria

• TBD

Size estimate

None

Dependencies

• None

Out of scope

• Nothing

Open questions

### Questions

Subtasks

### Android
- [ ] Todo

### iOS
- [ ] Todo

### Rust

### Web
- [ ] Todo

[mxandreas]

Regarding push notifications, it was decided that we show the push notification but would not show the message content. Instead, we warn that the verified identity has changed. @americanrefugee also added an example of such push notification in the design but I can't find it anymore.

[americanrefugee]

Here is the design for the push notification: https://www.figma.com/design/0oUTCbYhROEDprSp7bdWhx/Identity-Changes?node-id=443-12319&t=IIEWvRUWrjnXNS9d-4

[uhoreg]

@americanrefugee do we have designs for how this should look like in web for:

1. message preview in the the room sidebar
2. thread preview in the timeline

(do the mobile apps also have an equivalent to message preview in their room list?)

[richvdh]

Some discussion here about how this might be implemented in EWR

[americanrefugee]

@americanrefugee do we have designs for how this should look like in web for:

1. message preview in the the room sidebar
2. thread preview in the timeline

(do the mobile apps also have an equivalent to message preview in their room list?)

@uhoreg Is this what you need?

• Threaded message in timeline and Threads list
• Thread message

FYI @mxandreas

[uhoreg]

@americanrefugee Yes, for threads. There's also the message preview in the room sidebar (on the left)

[americanrefugee]

@americanrefugee Yes, for threads. There's also the message preview in the room sidebar (on the left)

Is there? I don't see message previews in the Room List...

However, in general I think we should:

• NOT show an indicator for a room in the room list
• But DO show an indicator for a DM in the list room if the user was previously verified

[uhoreg]

Is there? I don't see message previews in the Room List...

Message preview in the room list is an optional thing that can be enabled by clicking on the "..." button that appears when you hover over the room type header (e.g. "People", "Rooms") in the room list.

Another thing is, should we do anything with incoming message notifications?

[mxandreas]

NOT show an indicator for a room in the room list
But DO show an indicator for a DM in the list room if the user was previously verified

@americanrefugee What would be your reasoning of this?

Also, just in case a reminder that we have 2 related but not tightly coupled situations:

• a) Bob's verified identity has changed.
• b) A message was received from Bob (assumes a)).

So far, we have applied independent measures (decorations) to those and in this ticket we were focused on b).

However, if I think about the room list, then it will be probably hard to differentiate in there between a) and b); at least not so that the user understands. Thus we need to think we show something in there already in case of a) or only when b) happens.

Another thing is, should we do anything with incoming message notifications?

@uhoreg which notifications do you mean? I think this is where the topic started from; and Aaron provided the designs in here.

[americanrefugee]

@americanrefugee What would be your reasoning of this?

What we don't want to do is scare the user or clutter the interface with decorations. Imagine that the unverified person replied to 3 rooms. Your room list would look like there are multiple errors, but that's not true. Or else the error appears and then disappears when the next message comes in from a normal user. Which would also be confusing.

But if we decorate the DM from the unverified user, then you know that something is wrong with that user and not all the rooms.

Plus, you will see sufficient warning once in a room to know to take action. Before that, it isn't critical that you take action because everything else is working fine.

Also, just in case a reminder that we have 2 related but not tightly coupled situations:

• a) Bob's verified identity has changed.
• b) A message was received from Bob (assumes a)).

So far, we have applied independent measures (decorations) to those and in this ticket we were focused on b).

However, if I think about the room list, then it will be probably hard to differentiate in there between a) and b); at least not so that the user understands. Thus we need to think we show something in there already in case of a) or only when b) happens.

Not following you here... But still, whatever room that has that message will tell you what's going on.

Another thing is, should we do anything with incoming message notifications?

Yes, there is new text for notifications.