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Signal, one of the best encrypted messaging apps out there, would leave the UK if a proposed new security bill becomes law.
As it stands, the UK government’s online safety law would undermine encryption by allowing authorities to monitor private messages in an effort to stop terrorists and pedophiles online.
Signal said it would rather close its UK operations than undermine or weaken its privacy policy.
The fight against encryption
“We would absolutely walk 100% rather than ever undermining the trust people place in us to provide a truly private means of communication,” Signal president Meredith Whittaker told the BBC. (opens in new tab).
“We have never weakened our privacy promises, and we never would.”
Signal was launched in 2014 and now has over 40 million monthly actives (opens in new tab) users and over 120 downloads. The app is very popular for its additional security features such as disappearing messages mode, especially among those who are more in need of strong privacy, such as journalists, activists, and politicians.
The online security law, now being passed in parliament, has long been criticized for its plans to undermine encryption. As it stands, the bill will give its body, regulator Ofcom, the duty to scan coded messages for child sexual abuse or terrorism content.
The UK government said the bill is not about banning end-to-end encryption, but rather a way to stop criminals lurking online. “It is not a choice between privacy or child safety – we can and must have both,” the Interior Ministry wrote in a statement.
Whittaker isn’t buying it, however, describing it as “magical thinking” to believe the bill can guarantee the privacy of those who don’t break the law.
She also pointed out how this could allow both malicious state actors and criminals to exploit this “backdoor” for their own gain.
She told the BBC: “Encryption protects everyone or it’s broken for everyone.”
Signal isn’t the only app that offers encrypted communication. WhatsApp, Apple’s iMessage, Facebook and Telegram all use E2E to secure user communications. Security software such as VPN and secure email services can also become entangled under UK law.
Worse, even outside the UK, governments are fighting encryption in the name of a safer online world. For example, the EU Chat control regulates something very similar to the Online Safety Bill.
Privacy lawyers at The Electronic Frontier Foundation also warned of the risks (opens in new tab) of such a law, describing “the censorship, anti-encryption Online Safety Bill” as a possible blueprint for repression around the world.
They wrote in August last year: “The next British prime minister should abolish the bill in its entirety. If they don’t, parliament must vote to reject it.”
