UK defends plan to require access to encrypted messages to protect children

LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) – Britain’s technology minister, Michelle Donelan, has defended plans to require messaging apps to provide access to encrypted private messages where necessary to protect children from abuse, which major platforms say would undermine the privacy of its users.

Donelan told the BBC that the government was not against encryption and that access would only be requested as a last resort, under Britain’s online security bill, which is expected to become law by the end of this year.

“I, like you, want my privacy because I don’t want people to read my private messages. They would be very bored, but I don’t want them to,” said Donelan, the science, innovation and technology minister.

“However, we know that on some of these platforms, they are sometimes hotbeds of child abuse and sexual exploitation. And we need to be able to access that information in case that issue occurs.”

meta-property (META.O) WhatsApp, Signal and other messaging apps have opposed the planarguing that the law could give an “unelected official the power to undermine the privacy of billions of people around the world.”

The dispute is part of a larger debate between big tech companies, which say they are protecting free speech, and governments, which say they are defending citizens from harmful content online.

Donelan said the onus falls on tech companies to invest in technology to protect children.

“Technology is being developed to allow you to have encryption and be able to access this particular information,” he said.

“The security mechanism we have is very explicit that this (access) can only be used for child exploitation and abuse.”

Reporting by Muvija M Editing by Paul Sandle and Peter Graff

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