WhatsApp Stands Firm Against UK Government Proposals to Scan Encrypted Messages

WhatsApp stands firm on user privacy amid UK government proposals to scan encrypted messages, sparking concerns from tech companies and privacy groups.

WhatsApp, the popular messaging platform owned by Meta, has refused to compromise on user privacy by opposing UK government proposals that could allow encrypted messages to be scanned.

Online privacy campaigners have applauded WhatsApp’s stand, with Robin Wilton, director of internet trust for the Internet Society, describing any measure in the upcoming Online Safety Bill that would weaken user privacy as “a horrendous thing” for firms to implement.

Online Safety Bill Aims to Regulate Internet Content

The Online Safety Bill aims to regulate internet content to keep people safe and give media regulator Ofcom the power to demand that such platforms identify and remove child abuse content.

However, tech companies have expressed concerns that the bill is too far-reaching and unclear about what they will be required to censor, while some MPs have said it could impact freedom of expression. The bill returned to parliament last year after several delays and has the support of several major charities, safety activists, and large numbers of British adults.

Proposal to Scan Messages Could Compromise User Privacy

Mr Wilton warned that the Online Safety Bill could require platforms to “check” messages before they become encrypted, effectively compromising user privacy.

This would be like looking over someone’s shoulder to read their letters instead of opening them in the post. It could be done by scanning for illegal material preemptively on a device itself before a message is sent.

Big Brother Watch, a privacy group, has warned that the move would see the UK become a “communications black hole.” WhatsApp rival, Signal, has also threatened to withdraw its service from the UK if required to scan messages.

Signal Also Threatens to Withdraw Service in the UK

Will Cathcart, the head of WhatsApp, said he would rather see British users stopped from using the service than allow the government to impinge on their privacy. WhatsApp and similar apps like Signal use end-to-end encryption so that nobody outside a chat can view any messages being sent, not even the platform provider itself.

Conservative MP David Davis has proposed an amendment to the bill to remove powers to monitor people’s private encrypted messages. The government has insisted that the bill would not outlaw end-to-end encryption and that it would retain privacy while protecting the safety of children online.

Richard Collard, associate head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC, described private messaging as the “frontline of online child sexual abuse” and said that it was a “tired false argument” that children’s safety could only be achieved at the expense of adult privacy.

Tech Companies Concerned About the Bill’s Far-Reaching Scope

The bill’s far-reaching scope has caused concerns among tech companies, who are unclear about what they will be required to censor. Meanwhile, some MPs have suggested that the bill could restrict freedom of expression.

Sky News previously revealed that the UK government has never ordered Meta to provide authorities with ways to access encrypted WhatsApp messages, despite having the legal power to do so in secret.

The Government Insists the Bill Would Not Outlaw End-to-End Encryption

The UK government has insisted that the Online Safety Bill would not outlaw end-to-end encryption and that it would retain privacy while protecting the safety of children online.

Richard Collard, associate head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC, has described private messaging as the “frontline of online child sexual abuse”. He added that it was a “tired false argument” that children’s safety could only be achieved at the expense of adult privacy.

WhatsApp’s refusal to compromise on user privacy has been met with support from online privacy campaigners. The Online Safety Bill’s aim to regulate internet content to keep people safe has been met with concerns from tech companies who are unclear about what they will be required to censor.

The proposal to scan messages could compromise user privacy, leading to privacy groups like Big Brother Watch warning that the move would see the UK become a “communications black hole.”

With Signal also threatening to withdraw its service from the UK if required to scan messages, it remains to be seen whether the UK government will make any changes to the bill in response to these concerns.