WhatsApp Says It Would Leave UK If Government Tried to Weaken Encryption

[MacRumors]

WhatsApp would exit the U.K. market rather than be in thrall to the government's proposed Online Safety Bill if it undermined the app's end-to-end encryption, the platform's chief has said (via BBC News).

End-to-end encryption ensures that only the user and the person they are communicating with can read or listen to what is sent, and nobody in between, not even Meta/Facebook, can gain access to this content. However, the government, and some child-protection charities, argue that such encryption hinders efforts to combat the growing problem of online child abuse.

Under the bill, the government could force WhatsApp to apply content moderation policies that are impossible to implement without removing end-to-end encryption. If WhatsApp refused to do so, it could face fines of up to 4 percent of its parent company Meta's annual turnover.

But speaking during a U.K. visit in which he will meet legislators to discuss the government's internet regulation, Meta's head of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, said it would refuse to comply if asked to weaken its encryption, since it would do so for all users.

"Our users all around the world want security - 98% of our users are outside the U.K., they do not want us to lower the security of the product," he said, adding that the app would rather accept being blocked in the U.K. "We've recently been blocked in Iran, for example. We've never seen a liberal democracy do that."

Encrypted messaging app Signal's president Meredith Whittaker also recently said it "would absolutely, 100% walk" and halt its service in the U.K. if the bill required it to scan messages.

Asked if he would go as far as Signal, Cathcart told the BBC: "We won't lower the security of WhatsApp. We have never done that - and we have accepted being blocked in other parts of the world."

"When a liberal democracy says, 'Is it OK to scan everyone's private communication for illegal content?' that emboldens countries around the world that have very different definitions of illegal content to propose the same thing," Cathcart said.

WhatsApp is the most popular messaging platform in the U.K., used by more than seven in 10 adults who are online, according to communication regulator Ofcom.

The U.K. government's Online Safety Bill is expected to return to parliament this summer.

Article Link: WhatsApp Says It Would Leave UK If Government Tried to Weaken Encryption

 

[sniffies]

Usually anything Meta or Zuck gives me the ick, but in this rare case, I applaud their stance.

 

[MayaUser]

When the IT companies are becoming more and more powerful than the armies and governments...they set the trend and the rules apparently
Knowledge is power, and who have more knowledge than our phones companies these days..

 

[segfaultdotorg]

That is some STRONG leadership, very proud of WhatsApp right now! Contrast that with Apple's WEAK leadership, kowtowing to the EU USB-C requirement.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Glad WhatsApp is standing behind this and taking the right step. Hats off! In addition, The government should really stay out of this.

 

[JM]

Now THAT, is bravery.

Take note Apple.

 

[ersan191]

Wonder what Apple would do with iMessage...

 

[alexandr]

A worldwide platform threatening to leave a country? WhatsApp with that?!

 

[MayaUser]

Now THAT, is bravery.

Take note Apple.

i dont think Apple lowered the privacy in UK on their systems
What are you talking about? In fact Apple did set this trend

 

[StevieD100]

as much as I hate the UK Government, if this gets rid of one or more very anti-social platforms then... oh the dilemma...
What shall I do?

 

[MayaUser]

A worldwide platform threatening to leave a country? WhatsApp with that?!

its UK...lets see what they would do if this would have been China

 

[ghostface147]

Iran is a liberal democracy?

 

[VampyricGentleman]

Of course the great irony being a Brit is that the Government themselves use it for secure communication in an informal way

 

[antiprotest]

as much as I hate the UK Government, if this gets rid of one or more very anti-social platforms then... oh the dilemma...
What shall I do?

You should side with privacy and security.

 

[genovelle]

A worldwide platform threatening to leave a country? WhatsApp with that?!

I shouldn’t encourage this kind of behavior, but that was great!

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

I just love the fact WhatsApp is very big when it comes to privacy. For example:

Message Privately | WhatsApp Features

Privacy is our priority. Beyond end-to-end encryption, we add additional layers of protection. You can customize your privacy settings to choose who can see when you’re online, and when you last used WhatsApp.

www.whatsapp.com

 

[GrumpyCoder]

The irony here is, the government should demand better E2E encryption to protect the privacy and security of citizens.

 

[genovelle]

Iran is a liberal democracy?

No the UK is.

 

[Pezimak]

Personally I couldn't really care less if they went. But I bet lots of my governments MP's would be EXTREMELY upset as they won't be able to hide their dirt so easily....

 

[genovelle]

i dont think Apple lowered the privacy in UK on their systems
What are you talking about? In fact Apple did set this trend

The UK and US have been attempting to undermine the encryption on iPhones for years and Apple has refused.

 

[SirAnthonyHopkins]

Rare that anything Meta does is positive, but glad to hear them actually take a firm stance on this. Corporations pursuing public good while their governments try and circumvent all sorts of privacy regulations is not the way round this should go.

 

[alexandr]

its UK...lets see what they would do if this would have been China

No doubt about it.

 

[SirAnthonyHopkins]

That is some STRONG leadership, very proud of WhatsApp right now! Contrast that with Apple's WEAK leadership, kowtowing to the EU USB-C requirement.

Not a remotely reasonable comparison and I think you probably know it.

 

[laptech]

It is totally irresponsible of social media companies who provide end to end encryption on their messaging platforms to allow criminal activity to be active on their platforms and say there is not much they can do about it because they would have to weaken their encryption to monitor if criminal activity is taking place on their platform and then to throw their toys out the pram when authorities come knocking on their door telling them they have to get their act together or else.

 

[kyjaotkb]

I think UK citizens could just follow the lead of their government ministers and periodically hand over their private whatsapp messages to nutjob "journalists". No need to remove E2E encryption.