UK backed away from breaking end-to-end encryption in its new Online Safety Bill. Although privacy advocates are celebrating, their victory is far from complete.
UK backed away from breaking end-to-end encryption in its new Online Safety Bill. Although privacy advocates are celebrating, their victory is far from complete.
The UK has backed away from a Bill breaking end-to-end encrypted messages. Even as privacy advocates and companies celebrate, victory is far.
In the physical world, the limits are clear: no democratic government is permitted to monitor citizens in their homes without a court order, even to prevent domestic violence or child sexual abuse. In the digital world, though, the answer remains unresolved. Child safety advocates believe that governments must be able to unlock private messages, while tech companies and privacy activists see a smokescreen for mass government surveillance.
My understanding is they've done bugger all. MP's behind the bill have merely said they won't use the provision, primarily because there is no sufficient technical means to do so, but the wording of the bill hasn't changed.
If the bill goes through as is then businesses may be compelled to create the means to do so, regardless of it breaking encryption - maybe they won't do it right away, but they'll have the perogative under law. It wouldn't be too much more effort to throw in a gag order and prevent public disclosure. I'm sure Signal and a few others would kick up a stink and leave if they were targeted, but I could see Facebook and Google signing up, for a price. Hell I'd be more surprised if WhatsApp didn't already have backdoors.
My understanding is they've done bugger all. MP's behind the bill have merely said they won't use the provision, primarily because there is no sufficient technical means to do so, but the wording of the bill hasn't changed.
What will happen here will be exactly like what happened with the net neutrality laws in the US. Even if we beat it once they'll just keep trying until the media gets fatigued and they can pass it without a large amount of uproar. There's no legal way for us to stop them.
Tbh you can just do it client side once it's decrypted. It may not be that hard to circumvent but the vast majority wouldn't bother.
I'm hoping this just doesn't get passed in its current form. But not sure the house of lords will have much understanding of this stuff.
The law is in no way fixed and passing it will still be a terrible thing for a country that claims it wants to be a tech colossus.
Westminster hasn't blinked, they intend to pass a law which they then intend to not prosecute. Selectively enforced laws are awful.
This government remains awful, the bill remains awful, and the sooner all of westminster can be shut down the better. We will only be safe if we can free the country from the wankers in Westminster palace completely and entirely.
Ban westminster, not encryption!
Direct rule from King Charles III would probably be better than the current government
He'll promise not to cut off their heads, but not enforce that law.
I find this laughable. The government that was caught using Whatsapp for dodgy procurement dealings want to tighten encryption laws so the rest of us cannot hide anything.