Google Sets 2029 Deadline for Quantum-Safe Encryption

Is quantum computing an imminent threat to encryption or is the danger still decades away?

Published MAR 27

Google Sets 2029 Deadline for Quantum-Safe Encryption

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Above: A quantum computing demonstration at MWC Barcelona 2026, on March 3. Image credit: Angel Garcia/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Spin

Establishment-critical narrative

Google's Willow chip is a major milestone but poses no immediate threat to encryption — it has just 105 qubits, while millions are needed to crack RSA. Breaking modern encryption is at least a decade away, and no quantum computer today qualifies as a cryptanalytic threat. The real story is that post-quantum cryptography standards are already being finalized, putting the world on track to stay ahead of the threat.

Verge

Pro-establishment narrative

The quantum threat to RSA encryption just got a lot more real — new research slashes the qubit requirement by 95%, from 20 million down to under one million. Major hardware firms already have roadmaps targeting that scale by the early 2030s, meaning the window to migrate is closing fast. Waiting is a losing strategy, and any organization still running RSA past 2030 is gambling with its security.

Quantum Insider

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