WhatsAppening to Encryption?
Encryption is a process where data is encoded therefore rendering it unintelligible and scrambled. It does this through the utilization of an encryption key, a collection of uniquely designed algorithms which can be used to lock and unlock information portraying it as readable data. WhatsApp Messenger along with many other online messenger platforms use a specific brand of encryption in order to protect the privacy of its users called end-to-end encryption(E2EE). With E2EE data will be encrypted on the sender’s device and the only person who is able to decrypt the information is the recipient. Therefore hackers, internet service providers and even application service providers cannot access this information.
In the U.K. we are currently in the midst of a battle for the future of encryption and to be honest it is not entirely clear what the resolution to the quarrel will be. The reason there is a legal issue at hand is due to the fact that when the U.K. Government requested that WhatsApp create a limited access routes so officials could read requested messages, the messenger platform rejected their requests outright. The Government may now wish to force their request through using the Investigatory Powers Act which was introduced into law last year. The Act gives the government the power to place a duty on tech companies to disclose information the government says it needs, this of course encompasses information contained within encrypted messages. Although this Act has not been invoked thus far, the negotiation process is ongoing between the two parties as how best to address the privacy and other concerns of all involved.
WhatsApp prides itself on the fact that its encryption prevents prying eyes from seeing messages that are sent, unlike some of their “competitors” including Facebook Messenger (who now own Whatsapp) who can access message content at will. The U.K. government are trying to justify creating these official-only access points by making reference to the stark rise in terrorism and other criminal activities nationally and that these messaging services are being used as a tool to perpetrate these crimes. According to many cryptographers WhatsApp might have a tough decision to make as a company. There are two options available to them in the event of the U.K. Government playing hard ball.
1) They give into the U.K. Government’s demands and surrender the information that they desire, much to the dismay of the app’s user base.
2) Pull out of the U.K. entirely and cut their losses whilst maintaining the integrity of their service elsewhere.
All is not lost however, because if a court case were to ensue, this might not be in the best interests of the U.K. government either. Should the courts determine that the Investigatory Powers Act are too broad, then they lose their stick. In the end, it is likely they will just hack the information they require as the Act provides protection for them to do so without recourse.
