Chat apps WhatsApp and Signal are threatening to go black in the UK as a result of a new law requiring chat apps to scan chats for child abuse material. WhatsApp and Signal say they would rather move away from the UK than comply with the new law.
WhatsApp and Signal argue, according to Politico, that it is impossible to scan for child abuse material without breaking the chat apps ‘ end-to-end encryption. According to British politicians, it can and therefore the chat apps must comply with the law.
The chat apps already said last month to protest against the new law. This was done with an open letter to the British government and other governments.
In short, the bill poses an unprecedented threat to the privacy, safety and security of every citizen of the United Kingdom and the people with whom they communicate. It encourages other, hostile governments who may try to pass such laws as well.
The letter was signed by top people from WhatsApp, Session, Signal, Element, Threema, Viber and Wire.
The chat services see end-to-end encryption as a crucial element of their chat apps and refuse to break it in order to scan for child abuse material. Apple has tried to put a system in iOS 15 with a scan on the phone itself, but has withdrawn that plan after much internal and external criticism came to the plan. Many chat platforms use end-to-end encryption to secure chats so that people can communicate safely among themselves.
