WhatsApp and Signal have threatened to shut down services in Britain if the Online Safety Bill includes restrictions that undermine encryption. The government is pushing it through anyway.
People aren’t generally sending CSAM using mainstream messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal. Both of those services are connected to your phone number so it’s an unnecessary risk to take for pedophiles. Exchange of CSAM materials happens much more on the dark web and on less mainstream platforms which I will not name because I don’t want to inadvertently aid anyone seeking it. Those platforms aren’t going to give a shit about the UK’s law. So this law wouldn’t even accomplish what it claims to be attempting to do.
Absolutely - I know that is absolutely the case. I just wanted to explain that even if we accept that it would be worth sacrificing privacy to protect children, this bill wouldn’t even accomplish it.
Indeed, they’re just relying on your average Daily Mail reader to not ponder this too much and they’ve already demonstrated that they’re hard-of-thinking by buying the Daily Mail.
It’ll be interesting seeing the reaction when all the chat groups they are in disappear over night. They’ll not think it’s a good idea then. Although, that said, I don’t know anyone who thinks it’s a good idea now. This seems to just be being forced through by a dying government because they can.
People aren’t generally sending CSAM using mainstream messaging services like WhatsApp and Signal. Both of those services are connected to your phone number so it’s an unnecessary risk to take for pedophiles. Exchange of CSAM materials happens much more on the dark web and on less mainstream platforms which I will not name because I don’t want to inadvertently aid anyone seeking it. Those platforms aren’t going to give a shit about the UK’s law. So this law wouldn’t even accomplish what it claims to be attempting to do.
That’s because “think of the children” was only a fig leaf over an attempt to impose massive state surveillance.
It’s always either pedophiles or terrorists when it comes to trying to promote laws against encrypted communications.
Absolutely - I know that is absolutely the case. I just wanted to explain that even if we accept that it would be worth sacrificing privacy to protect children, this bill wouldn’t even accomplish it.
Indeed, they’re just relying on your average Daily Mail reader to not ponder this too much and they’ve already demonstrated that they’re hard-of-thinking by buying the Daily Mail.
It’ll be interesting seeing the reaction when all the chat groups they are in disappear over night. They’ll not think it’s a good idea then. Although, that said, I don’t know anyone who thinks it’s a good idea now. This seems to just be being forced through by a dying government because they can.