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Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K.?

bloomberg.com

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Re: Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K.?

#31

Post by falcolas »

cwyers wrote: post #24
bobthepanda wrote: post #6

The title is editorialized - it's not just Whatsapp, it's all social media platforms.

And it's misleading -- the article and the article's headline say nothing about adding a backdoor. There's not enough detail in the article to say exactly how this decision will affect WhatsApp. (The headline on Bloomberg, "Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K. Police" is more restrained.)

If messages are encrypted end-to-end, and laws force the ability to intercept those messages, the end-game (the backdoor) is fairly easy to tease out.

Re: Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K.?

#32

Post by smudgymcscmudge »

cwyers wrote: post #24
bobthepanda wrote: post #6

The title is editorialized - it's not just Whatsapp, it's all social media platforms.

And it's misleading -- the article and the article's headline say nothing about adding a backdoor. There's not enough detail in the article to say exactly how this decision will affect WhatsApp. (The headline on Bloomberg, "Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K. Police" is more restrained.)

On re-reading the sort article, I realize it only says they will be compelled to share "encrypted messages" and "information to support investigations". It never says anything about decrypting the messages. If that is literally all it is, then it is quite misleading.

Re: Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K.?

#33

Post by cyphar »

It's interesting this is even necessary -- Australia's legislation to this effect passed last year could've been used just as easily (in combination with the 5-EYES pact).

(As an aside, there was meant to be a parliamentary review of the Assistance and Access Act earlier this year -- but I haven't heard anything about it.)

Re: Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K.?

#34

Post by mancerayder »

Gys wrote: post #17

> Social media platforms based in the U.S. including Facebook and WhatsApp will be forced to share users’ encrypted messages with British police under a new treaty between the two countries, according to a person familiar with the matter. This sounds as if the platforms are already sharing with the US authorities. So this being about them sharing it now with UK authorities.

I didn't read that - are you sure about this? I am reading that backdoors are being asked to be created on WhatsApp. Anyway the messages aren't stored.

From the article:

Priti Patel, the U.K.’s home secretary, has previously warned that Facebook’s plan to enable users to send end-to-end encrypted messages would benefit criminals, and called on social media firms to develop “back doors” to give intelligence agencies access to their messaging platforms.

Re: Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K.?

#35

Post by gonehome »

Without more details I’m pretty skeptical, currently WhatsApp metadata gets turned over in warrant requests but no message content (metadata includes the times messages were sent and who they were sent from/to).

It’d be a big deal to force FB to modify WhatsApp for message content interception and I think it’d be challenged in court.

Re: Facebook, WhatsApp Will Have to Share Messages With U.K.?

#39

Post by hos234 »

nextos wrote: post #26
Gys wrote: post #17

> Social media platforms based in the U.S. including Facebook and WhatsApp will be forced to share users’ encrypted messages with British police under a new treaty between the two countries, according to a person familiar with the matter. This sounds as if the platforms are already sharing with the US authorities. So this being about them sharing it now with UK authorities.

I wonder what happens with Signal as it's US-based.

Nothing. Whoever is interested, has to get hold of the phones to access the messages.
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