The controversial provision of the Online Safety Bill that requires messaging apps to grant access to private message material upon request by the regulator Ofcom has been defended by the UK’s Technology Secretary, Michelle Donelan. The purpose of this clause is to protect kids from potential abuse.
Major internet firms, however, have firmly opposed the suggestion, hinting that they would leave the UK if forced to compromise their communications security safeguards. Examples of these firms include WhatsApp and Signal. The fall is when the Online Safety Bill is expected to pass.
Donelan made her comments while visiting University College London and announced a £13 million funding allocation for AI-related healthcare research.
The idea at the center of the discussion is to give authorities access to encrypted messaging content in situations where there may be threats to children. Currently, only the sender and recipient can decipher encrypted messages; IT companies themselves are not able to do so. The suggestion has sparked worries that if a backdoor is added, it might be used maliciously and force businesses to stop offering their services in the UK.
Donelan made it clear that the government is not opposed to encryption and would only want access in extreme circumstances, usually in situations of child exploitation and abuse. She made the argument that it is the responsibility of tech companies to invest in creating new technologies to handle this problem.
As a remedy, the idea of client side scanning has been put forth. Software must be installed on the devices in order to scan the content and issue alarms as needed. Such strategies, though, have come under fire and criticism for jeopardising privacy and security.
The NSPCC, a children’s charity, supports initiatives to stop child exploitation on encrypted platforms, but there is still doubt about how ready such technology is.
Critics claim that the suggested technologies compromise complete privacy and security. In September, the House of Commons is anticipated to debate the Online Safety Bill once more.