Britain has asked Meta not to implement end-to-end encryption on Instagram and Facebook Messenger unless it takes steps to protect children from potential online sexual abuse . The demand comes as a result of the passage of a new Internet Safety Bill.
Meta, which already implements encryption for WhatsApp messages , plans to extend end-to-end encryption to Messenger and Instagram direct messages . The company says the technology enhances user security and protection .
Britain's Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has stated her support for strong encryption, but stresses that it must not compromise the safety of children.
See also: Meta shuts down three Oculus games without explanation
“Meta has failed to provide assurances that it will keep its platforms safe from malicious actors,” he said. “They need to develop appropriate safeguards that fit within their plans for end-to-end encryption.”
For its part, Meta argues that most Britons already use apps that use strong encryption, which allows them to protect themselves from hackers, scammers, and criminals.
“We don't believe people want us to read their private messages, which is why we've spent the last five years developing strong security measures to prevent, detect and combat abuse, while maintaining online safety“.
But Meta is considering additional measures it can take to bolster child safety and address concerns . For example, it's considering banning people over 19 from communicating with teens who don't follow them. It also wants to use technology to detect and take action against malicious behavior.
See also: TikTok: $379 million fine for failing to keep children's data safe
“As we develop end-to-end encryption, we expect to continue to provide more reports to law enforcement, due to our industry-leading work in keeping people safe,” a Meta spokesperson told Reuters.
When the new Internet Safety Bill becomes law, social media platforms will be required to take stricter measures to protect children .
End-to-end encryption is a bone of contention between companies and the new bill.
Messaging platforms are opposing a provision that they say could force them to break encryption.
The British government, however, stresses that it is not opposed to encryption technology itself, nor is it banning it. It is simply asking companies to take extra steps to stop online child abuse and, as a last resort, to develop technology to scan encrypted messages. On the other hand, technology companies believe that message scanning and end-to-end encryption are fundamentally incompatible and that, in this way, encryption loses its meaning.
See also: Lidl recalls PAW Patrol children's snacks because the packaging has a URL with pornographic content
End-to-end encryption is a data protection method that allows for the secure transmission of information over the internet. In this technology, data is encrypted at the source and decrypted only at the destination, ensuring that only the recipient can see the information. The idea is to protect data from prying eyes during transmission, preventing it from being intercepted, monitored , or modified by third parties.
However, according to the British government, Mark Zuckerberg’s plan to roll out encrypted messaging on Instagram and Facebook Messenger will allow child abusers to “hide in the dark.” The government and child safety campaigners worry that encryption will allow criminals to avoid detection when they harass children, while allowing them to receive and send inappropriate images.
Source: www.news18.com
