WhatsApp threatens to exit the UK over Online Safety Bill
WhatsApp's head, Will Cathcart, said the company will leave the UK if forced to weaken its encryption policies under the country's upcoming Online Safety Bill. Cathcart described the bill as the most concerning piece of online legislation currently discussed in the western world. The Meta-owned app is not the only one that refused to lower its encryption standards. Even Signal had a similar response.
Why does this story matter?
Here's why the bill is causing a problem
As part of the UK's Online Safety Bill, companies will be required to use "accredited technology" to scan users' messages for child sexual abuse material or CSAM. The bill does not specify how these scans would be implemented, but according to security researchers, these "content moderation policies" would be impossible to implement without breaking end-to-end encryption.
What is end-to-end encryption?
End-to-end encryption essentially means that only the sender and receiver will be able to view the message. That is, even WhatsApp or Signal, cannot read messages sent over their own service.
Our users all around the world want security: Cathcart
"The reality is, our users all around the world want security," said Cathcart. "98% of our users are outside the UK. They do not want us to lower the security of the product...it would be an odd choice for us to choose to lower the security of the product in a way that would affect those 98% of users."
UK has the power to demand the removal of encryption
The UK already has the power to issue the removal of encryption, thanks to the 2016 investigatory powers act but WhatsApp has never received a legal demand to do so, said Cathcart. If the company does not adhere to the bill, it could face fines of up to 4% of its parent company Meta's annual turnover, unless it completely departs from the UK market.
The bill is expected to be passed later this year
The Online Safety Bill is expected to be passed later this year. If it does, it could expand the powers of the UK government to moderate online platforms, enabling it to require effective content moderation under the penalty of large fines.
