WhatsApp Chief Will Cathcart said that the platform won’t be adhering to the UK’s proposed Online Safety Bill, which is a commendably ballsy move, but also one that puts WhatsApp at risk of being banned in The UK. Just what does the bill entail, and why is WhatsApp wanting to be non-compliant?

WhatsApp In The UK?

Under the proposed bill, the UK Government would require all Social Media and messaging platforms to apply updated moderation processes to all user content to protect them and ensure harmful behavior is addressed. However, with full encryption in place, it would be impossible for a platform to adhere to this, as user content wouldn’t be accessible to moderation teams. Thus, the only solution would be to remove default encryption, which, to Cathcart, is not an option.

As Cathcart puts it:

“The reality is, our users all around the world want security. 99% of our users are outside the UK. They do not want us to lower the security of the product, and just as a straightforward matter, it would be an odd choice for us to choose to lower the security of the product in a way that would affect those 98% of users.”

While Cathcart can only speak for WhatsApp specifically, the same would, at least theoretically, apply to all of Meta’s messaging apps, with the company still proceeding with its plan to bring full encryption, by default, to Messenger and Instagram DM, too.

As the current proposal stands, if Meta remains unwilling or unable to comply with the EU’s incoming regulatory changes, then the company would face fines amounting to up to 4% of its annual turnover, eventually forcing Meta to reconsider its presence in the region. The UK Government has long opposed Meta’s expanded encryption push. Last September, then UK Home Affairs Secretary Priti Patel called on Meta to reconsider its plans for expanded messaging encryption, as it could impede the ability of local law enforcement to prevent child abuse. Back then, Patel termed the shift as potentially being ‘catastrophic’.

Other UK law enforcement and safety officials have echoed the same, calling on the UK Government to implement new laws to prevent Meta from effectively facilitating criminal activity by cloaking it behind an encryption wall. However, as Cathcart notes, user privacy has become an expectation, with more people now turning to private, encrypted messaging to freely engage with family and friends. With Meta looking to align with this, it has thus far been unwilling to reverse its plans.

The Wrap

This blatant defiance now has Meta on a collision course with UK officials, which could force it to implement new approaches by region – either that or pull out of the UK entirely. The UK’s proposed online safety bill is expected to return to parliament mid-year. Furthermore, losing the entirety of the UK would deal Meta another severe blow to its revenue and user base.

Sources

http://bit.ly/3FiNXsc