WhatsApp’s chief recently announced during a visit to the UK that the company would not comply with the country’s proposed Online Safety Bill (OSB) due to the bill’s outlawing of end-to-end encryption (E2E). This announcement has raised concerns about online safety and privacy issues, particularly for online messaging platforms.
What is the UK Online Safety Bill?
The Online Safety Bill is a proposed British legislation that aims to improve online safety by placing certain “duty of care” obligations on online platforms. Under the OSB, most kinds of internet service providers, including private messaging apps and search engines, would be required to identify and take down terrorism content and Child Sex Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA) content that is communicated “publicly” and “privately.”
However, Clause 110 of the OSB has received criticism for empowering the British telecommunications regulator to issue notices to these service providers to eliminate E2E encryption. Doing so would render it unusable because messaging apps would be required to examine all communications received through their system in order to identify and remove terrorist and CSEA content.
What have other platforms said?
Signal’s president, Meredith Whittaker, stated that the company “would definitely, 100% walk” if required to compromise the messaging platform’s level of privacy. The CEO of British business Element, which operates the Matrix-based E2E encrypted messenger, also expressed concerns that the OSB may force it to leave the UK completely and relocate its offices.
What happens if platforms don’t comply?
Platforms that do not comply may face penalties of up to £18 million or 10% of the platform’s global revenue of the preceding accounting year, whichever is higher.
Comparison with India
India has enacted a similar law through the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. However, the Indian government has made it mandatory for messaging platforms with more than five million users in India to “enable the identification of the first originator” of a message, but this is not the same as asking for scanning and flagging of all encrypted content.
What is End-to-End Encryption?
E2E encryption is a method of encrypting data that ensures only the intended recipient can decrypt the message using a unique decryption key. The messaging service provider cannot decrypt the message, making it a secure method of communication. E2E encryption is offered by default on WhatsApp, Signal, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, and is an option on Meta’s Messenger and Telegram.
Implications for Online Safety and Privacy
WhatsApp’s refusal to comply with the UK’s proposed Online Safety Bill (OSB) over the E2E encryption ban has raised concerns about online safety and privacy issues. While the OSB’s aim is to improve online safety, banning E2E encryption may result in less secure messaging platforms, making them vulnerable to cyberattacks and data breaches.
Moreover, the ban on E2E encryption may also have implications for online privacy, as messaging apps would be required to examine all communications received through their system in order to identify and remove terrorist and CSEA content. This could potentially lead to the infringement of users’ privacy rights, as their private conversations may be monitored by these platforms.
MCQ s About The UK Online Safety Bill
-
What is the Online Safety Bill (OSB) of the United Kingdom?
A. Proposed legislation aimed at improving online safety
B. Proposed legislation aimed at reducing online privacy
C. Proposed legislation aimed at limiting internet access
D. Proposed legislation aimed at regulating social media content
-
What is end-to-end encryption?
A. A method of encrypting data that ensures only the intended recipient can decrypt the message
B. A method of encrypting data that can be decrypted by the messaging service provider
C. A method of encrypting data that can be decrypted by the government
D. A method of encrypting data that can be decrypted by anyone
-
What penalties may online platforms face if they do not comply with the Online Safety Bill?
A. Up to £18 million or 10% of the platform’s global revenue of the preceding accounting year, whichever is higher
B. Up to £100,000 or 1% of the platform’s global revenue of the preceding accounting year, whichever is higher
C. Up to £1 million or 5% of the platform’s global revenue of the preceding accounting year, whichever is higher
D. Up to £50 million or 20% of the platform’s global revenue of the preceding accounting year, whichever is higher
Boost up your confidence by appearing our Weekly Current Affairs Multiple Choice Questions
