Facebook Inc. is facing calls from lawmakers in the
U.K. to make its WhatsApp more accessible in the wake of last week’s terrorist
attack in London.
In an interview, U.K. Home Secretary Amber Rudd
called on Facebook and other app makers to make their encrypted messaging
services accessible to intelligence agencies to prevent future terrorist
attacks. The home secretary called it “completely unacceptable” that the U.K.
government can’t read messages sent within the apps. Rudd is holding a meeting
with technology companies later this week to discuss options.
Rudd also wouldn’t rule out passing legislation to
give intelligence agencies access to the encrypted messaging apps. The calls
from Rudd came after it was revealed that Khalid Masood, the British extremist
who murdered four people near Parliament on Wednesday, communicated via
WhatsApp shortly before the attack. Police believe Masood acted alone in the
attack that shook the nation.
While a large percentage of the population would
agree that law enforcement should have access to encrypted messaging apps,
privacy advocates and consumer watchdogs argue that giving the government such
power is overreach, arguing that creating new “draconian” laws only serves to
play into the terrorists' hands.
The calls on the part of U.K. lawmakers comes on the
heels of a long-running fight between Apple Inc. and the FBI over getting
access to locked devices in the U.S. Apple had refused to help unlock the
iPhone belonging to San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook, which forced the FBI
to use costly software to unlock it.
Apple said it would violate the rights of its
customers if the government was able to decrypt data on locked iPhones. In
February, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook penned a letter to Apple customers
arguing that the government’s demands are “chilling.” He went on to say that
the FBI wanted Apple to create a new version of the iPhone operating system to
get around security features and install it on the iPhone recovered in the
shooting.
“In the wrong hands, this software—which does not
exist today—would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical
possession. The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no
mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would
undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use
would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control,” Cook
wrote.
Via: Investopedia
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