{"id":642872,"date":"2023-04-29T10:06:15","date_gmt":"2023-04-29T15:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/29\/government-is-playing-psychic-war-in-battle-over-end-to-end-encryption\/"},"modified":"2023-04-29T10:06:15","modified_gmt":"2023-04-29T15:06:15","slug":"government-is-playing-psychic-war-in-battle-over-end-to-end-encryption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/29\/government-is-playing-psychic-war-in-battle-over-end-to-end-encryption\/","title":{"rendered":"Government is playing \u2018psychic war\u2019 in battle over end-to-end encryption"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"content-header\">\n<h2>Peers hear that the government is being deliberately ambiguous about its plans to require technology companies to scan the content of encrypted messages<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"content-center\">\n<ul>\n<li><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i><\/li>\n<li><i data-icon=\"2\"><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"contributors-block\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Bill-Goodwin-CW-contributor-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"Bill Goodwin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/contributor\/Bill-Goodwin\">Bill Goodwin,<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Computer Weekly<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\tPublished: <span>28 Apr 2023 16:48<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"content-body\">\n<p>The government is playing a high-stakes game of chicken with technology companies by being \u201cintentionally ambiguous\u201d about the impact legislation going through Parliament that could undermine end-to-end encryption, a peer has claimed.<\/p>\n<p>Liberal peer Richard Allan told the House of Lords yesterday that the government was playing a \u201cpsychic war\u201d with technology companies in the hope that they would blink first by voluntarily agreeing to introduce tools that could scan the contents of encrypted messages and other concessions.<\/p>\n<p>Lord Allan was speaking as peers considered amendments to the Online Safety Bill which has been widely criticised by technology companies for undermining end-to-end encrypted communications services used by politicians, journalists, human rights campaigners and the public to protect their communications.<\/p>\n<p>He said that ministers had been careful to say that they have no intention of banning end-to-end encryption, but at the same time they have been silent on provisions in the Online Safety Bill that technology companies say will make it impossible to offer end-to-end encryption in the UK.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Government\u2019s hope is that companies will blink first in the game of chicken and give them what they want, but it is at least as likely that the Government will blink first and have to abandon proposals, which risks discrediting their efforts as a whole,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf nobody blinks, and we allow an unstoppable force to hit an immovable object, we could end up with the complete breakdown of key relationships and years of unproductive litigation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<section data-menu-title=\"Client-side scanning\">\n<h3><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i>Client-side scanning\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>The Online Safety Bill will give the regulator, Ofcom, powers to require communications companies to install technology, known as client-side scanning (CSS), to analyse the content of messages for child sexual abuse and terrorism content before they are encrypted.<\/p>\n<p>Encrypted messaging companies, including Signal, WhatsApp, and Element,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/365535512\/Tech-companies-and-NGOs-urge-rewrite-of-Online-Safety-Bill-to-protect-encrypted-comms\"> have said such a move would fundamentally weaken encryption<\/a>, leave services open to hacking, and make it impossible to offer encrypted messaging services in the UK.<\/p>\n<p>Allan said that there were multiple ways that illegal content could come to the attention of the authorities without attacking encryption.<\/p>\n<p>The police and security services already have a range of intrusive surveillance tools regulated under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act that can compromise the devices of suspects, alongside powers to require people to grant access to their electronic devices.<\/p>\n<p>The Peer urged ministers to be clear about their intentions, and to state directly whether the government plans to impose technical requirements on messaging companies that would mean people in the UK will no longer be able to use truly secure end-to-end encrypted products.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat is not my preferred option, but it would at least allow for an orderly transition, if services choose to withdraw products from the UK market,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>The Lords heard that 40 million people in the UK use private messaging services every day. They include journalists, human rights and democracy activists in repressive regimes, who need to protect the safety of their contacts.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section data-menu-title=\"Historical records\">\n<h3><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i>Historical records<\/h3>\n<p>Conservative Peer, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9xamJ0eiqoA\">Lord Moylan, said<\/a> that it was possible that the Online Safety Bill would allow Ofcom to demand historical records of communications without a warrant or without having to give a basis for doing so.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can understand why the security services and so forth want this power, and this is a vehicle to achieve something they have been trying to achieve for a long time. But there is very strong public resistance to it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Baroness Fox of Buckley said the security of knowing people can speak without Putin or President Xi listening in or being sent copies of their WhatsApp messages was important.<\/p>\n<p>She said it was not possible to install tools that require surveillance of encrypted content to detect child exploitation and terrorism without undermining encryption. \u201cJust as you cannot be half pregnant you cannot be half encrypted,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>She said that most abuse of children occurs in their homes but no one is arguing the state should put CCTV cameras in every home for 24\/7 surveillance. There are specialist services that can intervene when they think there is a problem. \u201c I am worried about the possibility of putting a CCTV camera in everyone\u2019s phone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section data-menu-title=\"Companies \u2018intentionally blind\u2019\">\n<h3><i data-icon=\"1\"><\/i>Companies \u2018intentionally blind\u2019<\/h3>\n<p>Labour Peer, <a href=\"https:\/\/members.parliament.uk\/member\/4175\/contact\">Lord Stevenson of Balmacara<\/a> argued that end-to-end encryption \u201cintentionally blinds\u201d technology companies to criminal activity on their services.<\/p>\n<p>The US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children estimated that more than half of its reports would be lost if end-to-end encryption was implemented [by Facebook].<\/p>\n<p>He said that Ofcom will have powers to require companies to use highly accurate \u2018accredited\u2019 technology to detect illegal child exploitation that would minimise the risk that legal content is wrongly reported.<\/p>\n<p>Ofcom would need to publish a warning notice and allow tech companies to make representations and a right of appeal before requiring them to introduce scanning technology.<\/p>\n<p>The regulator cannot require a company to take any action that is not proportionate, including removing or materially weakening encryption, he said.<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\"><\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<section id=\"DigDeeperSplash\">\n<h4>\n\t\t\t<i data-icon=\"m\"><\/i>Read more on IT for telecoms and internet organisations<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/365535563\/Online-Safety-Bill-could-pose-risk-to-encryption-technology-used-by-Ukraine\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/Ukraine-hacker-code-flag-dailycreativity-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Ukraine-hacker-code-flag-dailycreativity-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Ukraine-hacker-code-flag-dailycreativity-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Online Safety Bill could pose risk to encryption technology used by Ukraine<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Bill-Goodwin-CW-contributor-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"BillGoodwin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Bill\u00a0Goodwin<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/365535512\/Tech-companies-and-NGOs-urge-rewrite-of-Online-Safety-Bill-to-protect-encrypted-comms\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/Whatsapp-Facebook-Instagram-apps-Ed-Use-Only-adobe-hero_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Whatsapp-Facebook-Instagram-apps-Ed-Use-Only-adobe-hero_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Whatsapp-Facebook-Instagram-apps-Ed-Use-Only-adobe-hero.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Tech companies and NGOs urge rewrite of Online Safety Bill to protect encrypted comms<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Bill-Goodwin-CW-contributor-2022-140x180px.jpg\" alt=\"BillGoodwin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Bill\u00a0Goodwin<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252528153\/Online-Safety-Bill-returns-to-Parliament\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/Westminster-sunset-fotolia_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Westminster-sunset-fotolia_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/Westminster-sunset-fotolia.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>Online Safety Bill returns to Parliament<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton-CW-contributor.jpg\" alt=\"SebastianKlovig Skelton\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Sebastian\u00a0Klovig Skelton<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a id=\"DigDeeperItem-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/252527782\/Legal-but-harmful-clause-dropped-from-Online-Safety-Bill\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero Images\/London-Westminster-Parliament-4-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/London-Westminster-Parliament-4-adobe_searchsitetablet_520X173.jpg 960w,https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/visuals\/ComputerWeekly\/Hero%20Images\/London-Westminster-Parliament-4-adobe.jpg 1280w\" alt ><\/p>\n<h5>\u2018Legal but harmful\u2019 clause dropped from Online Safety Bill<\/h5>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/computerweekly\/Sebastian-Klovig-Skelton-CW-contributor.jpg\" alt=\"SebastianKlovig Skelton\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p><span>By: <span>Sebastian\u00a0Klovig Skelton<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.computerweekly.com\/news\/366536094\/Government-is-playing-psychic-war-in-battle-over-end-to-end-encryption\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Christeen Center<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Peers hear that the government is being deliberately ambiguous about its plans to require technology companies to scan the content of encrypted messages By Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly Published: 28 Apr 2023 16:48 The government is playing a high-stakes game of chicken with technology companies by being \u201cintentionally ambiguous\u201d about the impact legislation going through<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":642873,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[284,899,46],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-642872","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-government","8":"category-playing","9":"category-technology"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=642872"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642872\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/642873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=642872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=642872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=642872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}