WhatsApp would not remove end-to-end encryption for UK law, says chief

[J65nko]

From https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...ne-safety-bill:

WhatsApp would refuse to comply with requirements in the online safety bill that attempted to outlaw end-to-end encryption, the chat app’s boss has said, casting the future of the service in the UK in doubt.

Speaking during a UK visit in which he will meet legislators to discuss the government’s flagship internet regulation, Will Cathcart, Meta’s head of WhatsApp, described the bill as the most concerning piece of legislation currently being discussed in the western world.

He said: “It’s a remarkable thing to think about. There isn’t a way to change it in just one part of the world. Some countries have chosen to block it: that’s the reality of shipping a secure product. We’ve recently been blocked in Iran, for example. But we’ve never seen a liberal democracy do that.

[Onauk]

Other companies took a stance on encryption, namely Signal an Tutanota:

1. Signal would 'walk' from UK if Online Safety Bill undermined encryption https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-64584001
2. We will not 'walk out' of UK like Signal. Nor will we comply with any request to bypass our encryption. https://tutanota.com/blog/posts/uk-undermine-encryption

[jmccue]

If Whatsapp move their servers, offices and accounts outside of the UK, how will the UK enforce this ? The only way I can think of is the UK could force their Cell Phone providers to tack on a huge fee for people with that app.

[Onauk]

Originally Posted by jmccue

If Whatsapp move their servers, offices and accounts outside of the UK, how will the UK enforce this ?

With DNS blocking maybe?

[fvgit]

WhatsApp belongs to Facebook/Meta. You can bet that the NSA has special access to all WhatsApp communications, encrypted or not. Both the UK and the US are members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. I'm pretty sure, GCHQ can get the info they need one way or another.
From the wikipedia article on WhatsApp:

FBI

In 2021, an FBI document obtained by Property of the People, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, through an FOIA request, reveals, that WhatsApp and iMessage are vulnerable to law-enforcement real-time searches.

Seems more like a publicity stunt on the side of Facebook/Meta

[J65nko]

IMHO this proposed bill just illustrates again the incompetence of the Tories. So the UK government computers will be administrated remotely with unencrypted telnet instead of encrypted ssh?

Just like they pushed for Brexit and never realizing the impact on the Northern-Ireland Good Friday agreement.
Another example is the Transport Secretary having to admit he did not know that so much from British imports arrived via Dover, resulting in miles long traffic jams of lorries which now had to be cleared by customs.

[bsd-keith]

The rich politicians have no idea about real life; & especially the multi millionaires, after all, none of it impacts on their lives!

[cynwulf]

Originally Posted by J65nko

IMHO this proposed bill just illustrates again the incompetence of the Tories. So the UK government computers will be administrated remotely with unencrypted telnet instead of encrypted ssh?

Just like they pushed for Brexit and never realizing the impact on the Northern-Ireland Good Friday agreement.
Another example is the Transport Secretary having to admit he did not know that so much from British imports arrived via Dover, resulting in miles long traffic jams of lorries which now had to be cleared by customs.

Make no mistake about it, this kind of "safety" has an agenda behind it. It is about monitoring, quashing and/or subverting political dissent.

Brexit happened because a large percentage of people were manipulated through fearmonering and tapping into xenophobia. Now because of that establishment managed farce, we're all paying the price. The Tory government, is blame shifting, using covid and Ukraine, but in reality it's Brexit and close to 13 years of the Tories which has landed us in this mess.

It can only get worse. People were presented with an alternative some years ago but were swayed by slander and smear campaigns by the Tory press and Blairites within the Labour party - now the alternative is no better.