Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Sep 25, 2023

WhatsApp, Signal and encrypted messaging apps unite against Online Safety Bill

WhatsApp, Signal and encrypted messaging apps unite against Online Safety Bill

Signal and Meta-owned WhatsApp have previously warned they would sooner see British users stopped from using their services than risk compromising their privacy. But child safety campaigners and charities have claimed that private messaging is the "frontline of online child sexual abuse".
WhatsApp, Signal, and a number of other encrypted messaging services have signed an open letter opposing the Online Safety Bill.

The platforms say the government's flagship internet safety legislation could undermine end-to-end encryption, which ensures nobody other than the sender and intended recipient of a message can read it.

Signal and WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, have previously warned they would sooner see British users stopped from using their services than risk compromising their privacy.

The government has insisted it would not outlaw end-to-end encryption, insisting it will retain privacy while protecting children's safety online, and charities including the NSPCC support it.

But UK-based messaging platform Element, used by the likes of the Ministry of Defence, US Marine Corps, and Ukraine's armed forces, claimed the bill was "outright dangerous" and would weaken national security.

Element's chief executive Matthew Hodgson said: "The UK wants its own special access into end-to-end encrypted systems.

"Bad actors don't play by the rules. Rogue nation states, terrorists, and criminals will target that access with every resource they have."

Mr Hodgson added: "It's a shock to see the UK, a country that symbolises democracy and freedom, introducing routine mass surveillance and fundamentally undermining encryption.

"Bad actors will simply continue to use existing unregulated apps - and good actors using compliant apps will have their privacy undermined."

Who backs the Online Safety Bill?

Despite privacy concerns, the long-delayed bill is backed by child safety campaigners, with the NSPCC describing private messaging as the "frontline of online child sexual abuse".

Surveys suggest it also has the support of large numbers of British adults.

The wide-ranging legislation aims to regulate internet content to keep people safe, and would give media regulator Ofcom the power to demand that platforms identify and remove child abuse content.

Refusing to comply could see companies face huge fines.

What happens next?

The letter from messaging platforms comes ahead of the bill's final reading in the House of Lords on Wednesday.

It's almost two years since it was first published in draft form, when it began its long journey through parliament.

After several delays due to the concerns of tech companies, which fear the bill is too far-reaching and unclear about what they will be required to censor, it made its return to parliament late last year and has cross-party support.

Some MPs, though, have said it could impact freedom of expression.

Tory backbencher David Davis has proposed an amendment to the bill to remove powers to monitor people's private encrypted messages.
Comments

Brad 158 days ago
Stupid People believe this propaganda from government. If the Government's lips are moving they are "LYING"

2021WhatsApp IS OWNED BY Facebook can access some data WhatsApp collects on you for specified purposes, which may be bad for your privacy
Brad 158 days ago
2021WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world with around 2 billion (yes, billion) users worldwide. The app is encrypted by default with end-to-end encryption for both messages and calls, which is good for your privacy. It's also owned by Facebook which means Facebook can access some data WhatsApp collects on you for specified purposes, which may be bad for your privacy
Brad 158 days ago
What's APP and Signal are not private from government spying. This is more propaganda.
Bitcoin is not private or anonymous from government either. This too is more government propaganda.

Bitcoin and What's App & Signal are private from the general public just like your lawyer.
Your lawyers and Bitcoin and WhatsApp and Signal all share information with the government.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
Close
0:00
0:00
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Swedish Embassy in Baghdad Engulfed in Flames Amidst a Firestorm of Protests
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Today, we're unveiling the splendor of one of Saudi Arabia's most exclusive and stunning retreats – the Jeddah Yacht Club
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Hospitalized Due to Dehydration Amidst Summer Heatwave
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Saudi Arabia Joins the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia
The Renowned Crown Prince Camel Festival Set to Return to Taif on Aug. 1
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
An Ominous Shift in Warfare: Western Powers Risk War Crimes and Violate International Norms with Cluster Bomb Supply to Ukraine
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Tensions Escalate as Iran Challenges Saudi Arabia's Sovereignty over Al-Durrah Gas Field
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
Saudi Arabia and China Forge New Frontiers in Space Exploration
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
Corruption in the European Parliament - Business as usual
UK Crypto and Stablecoin Regulations Become Law as Royal Assent is Granted
Paris Suburb Grapples with Violence as Curfew Imposed: Saint-Denis Residents Express Dismay and Anger
A Delaware city wants to let businesses vote in its elections
×