2023-06-27 20:04:17
wanted by BBCa Apple protested against new legislation by the United Kingdom which aims to scan users’ messages for possible child sexual abuse material on messaging apps such as iMessage and or WhatsApp.
Proposed in July last year, the amendment to Online Security Law (Online Safety Bill) aims to protect children in particular. However, Apple believes that scanning users’ messages could have serious consequences.
According to the company, if approved, the legislation will jeopardize the privacy and security of messaging services. WhatsApp, for example, has already stated that it will not weaken its encryption; Signal has even threatened to pull out of the country altogether if the law is enacted.
The government, of course, can still make changes to the amendment to address the concerns of Apple and other companies that disagree with it. Still, it’s unclear whether these changes will be enough to satisfy critics.
Interestingly, the law has similarities to a feature that Apple had planned a few years ago but scrapped months later. Part of a trio of new features that included the feature Communication Securityhe faced a lot of criticism from privacy advocates.
According to the British government, the new legislation will empower a regulatory authority called Ofcom to check messages before they are sent — something almost similar to what Apple had planned.
Before being approved, therefore, companies and parliament need to find a balance between protecting people and preserving the privacy of others. In the meantime, we will continue to follow the development of this debate…
via AppleInsider
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