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[Auctopus]

Article

(Didn't see this posted anywhere else)

Messaging service WhatsApp rejected a UK Government request to create a way to access encrypted messages earlier this year, reports Sky News, citing an anonymous security source. The British Government reportedly asked WhatsApp in a meeting during summer to produce technical solutions that would allow access — known as a backdoor. Sky News reports that 80 percent of investigations into terrorism and serious crime are affected by encryption.

"It is crucially important that we can access their communications — and when we can't, it can provide a black hole for investigators," the source said. Extremists are known to use encryption apps like WhatsApp and Telegram to communicate, and an inability to access those messages has been a constant source of frustration for law enforcement.

Sky News reports that UK intelligence officials believe that reaching a compromise with these tech companies is possible and are firm in the hope that encrypted messages can be accessed with a warrant. Major tech companies have been strongly opposed to building backdoors though because it would undermine their services’ security, so a compromise doesn’t look likely.

In a statement on its website, WhatsApp says that “we carefully review, validate, and respond to law enforcement requests based on applicable law and policy, and we prioritize responses to emergency requests.” Apps like WhatsApp use end-to-end encryption that scrambles messages through a code. So WhatsApp can only hand over metadata like the account name and email address and can’t see the actual messages being sent.

It’s not the first time the UK Government has tried to access messages sent on the platform. Earlier this year UK home secretary Amber Rudd said it was "completely unacceptable" that intelligence services could not read WhatsApp messages sent and received by Khalid Masood, the perpetrator of a terrorist attack at Westminster in London in March.

Just more of our UK Government attempting to invade more and more of our privacies. Lead by the completely inept Amber Rudd with a complete lack of understanding of technology and digital rights.

 

[rambis]

Good on them but we are fucked once most criminals figure out they can use it unchecked.

 

[dallow_bg]

They're owned by Facebook now right?

 

[Slackbladder]

Article

(Didn't see this posted anywhere else)

Just more of our UK Government attempting to invade more and more of our privacies. Lead by the completely inept Amber Rudd with a complete lack of understanding of technology and digital rights.

May looks like Emperor Palpatine flanked by some Imperial officers in that picture! She really is a very untrustworthy individual and Rudd is, if anything, worse.

 

[Sulik2]

Good on them but we are fucked once most criminals figure out they can use it unchecked.

Deal with it. Encrypted communications are vital to the basic functionings of the internet and the basic human rights of individuals to a level of privacy in the digital age. Just because a few bad actors misuse the technology is no reason to jeopardize the entire system of encryption. Which is exactly what backdoors do. If there is a hole for one person, the criminals will find and exploit it for everyone. Its guaranteed. Instead of relying on hacking a cell phone criminal justice organizations will have to do investigative work requiring people again. 100% end to end encryption for all consumer communications is where we should be heading as a global society. Its the only way to guarantee any form of privacy in the digital age.

 

[Kthulhu]

They're owned by Facebook now right?

For a few years now, yeah.

Good on them but we are fucked once most criminals figure out they can use it unchecked.

Old methods still work. Putting billions of people at risk isn't worth the cost of a couple criminals getting away.

 

[Kill Your Masters]

Good on them but we are fucked once most criminals figure out they can use it unchecked.

They'll use something else while regular people get exposed.

 

[Beefy]

Rudd needs to resign over how she handled the immigrant case. Also fuck this shit.

 

[AuthenticM]

brb installing whatsapp

 

[jelly]

So WhatsApp can only hand over metadata like the account name and email address and can’t see the actual messages being sent.

Whatsapp uses neither right so that is wrong?

Why are we having this discussion again. Encryption will never be banished so putting billions of good people at risk is utterly pointless when there is any number of ways to replicate it. Politicians are clueless.

 

[rambis]

Deal with it. Encrypted communications are vital to the basic functionings of the internet and the basic human rights of individuals to a level of privacy in the digital age. Just because a few bad actors misuse the technology is no reason to jeopardize the entire system of encryption. Which is exactly what backdoors do. If there is a hole for one person, the criminals will find and exploit it for everyone. Its guaranteed. Instead of relying on hacking a cell phone criminal justice organizations will have to do investigative work requiring people again. 100% end to end encryption for all consumer communications is where we should be heading as a global society. Its the only way to guarantee any form of privacy in the digital age.

Didn't really ask for all this but ok...

Whatsapp uses neither right so that is wrong?

There's a username for sure. And email if you do 2FA

 

[Dervius]

Whatsapp uses neither right so that is wrong?

Why are we having this discussion again. Encryption will never be banished so putting billions of good people at risk is utterly pointless when there is any number of ways to replicate it. Politicians are clueless.

Wrong in the sense that there isn't an email atta he'd, but there is metadata, times, message size (potentially) , Geotags etc. All perfectly legal to hand over.

 

[Goodlife]

Love the fact they think once there is this backdoor in place, people (i.e. terrorists) would keep using it.

The technology is out there, end to end encryption is here and isn't going anywhere. People will just move onto the next thing.

 

[Zvonimir Boban]

Good on them but we are fucked once most criminals figure out they can use it unchecked.

lol

This isn't about criminals or terrorists.

 

[StayDead]

Good. I hate my government.

The people who are for the ban on encryption are crazy. Would they like it if the government hired someone to sit with you all day every day to listen in to your conversations? Even if you're doing nothing wrong, you have a right to your privacy.

 

[Ravensmash]

Good. I hate my government.

The people who are for the ban on encryption are crazy. Would they like it if the government hired someone to sit with you all day every day to listen in to your conversations? Even if you're doing nothing wrong, you have a right to your privacy.

"I've got nothing to hide so fine by me! "

And yeah this is a real and staunchly defended point by some.

 

[Majmun]

I got nothing to hide. But I don't want the government to see pics I send to my gf. And vice versa.

 

[afroguy10]

They'll use something else while regular people get exposed.

Reminds me of, I think it was the 9/11 terrorists. They used internet cafes to communicate at times, they would type emails on one of the computers and rather than send them, they'd save them as a draft, leave the internet cafe and then a few hours later the other terrorist would come in, sign on to the same machine and read the draft message and then delete it.

 

[SteveWD40]

Good, always nice to see our out of touch politicians being laughed out of the room by a group they can’t bully or strong arm.

 

[Mr-Joker]

May and her cronies can get bent if they think that they can invade my privacy under the guise of "protecting" the public.

Good on WhatsApp for refusing to bend backwards.