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Meredith Whittaker reaffirms that Signal would leave UK if forced by privacy bill

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Summary

Meredith Whittaker, president of the Signal Foundation, has reaffirmed that Signal messaging app would leave the U.K. if the recently passed Online Safety Bill forces it to build backdoors into its end-to-end encryption. Whittaker expressed her fears about the implications of the bill, which allows the U.K.’s communications regulator to break the encryption of apps and services. She also discussed the steps Signal takes to ensure its users remain anonymous and the data it will hand over in cases of search warrants. Lastly, she expressed her hope that encrypted messaging would become synonymous with messaging, citing Facebook's plan to roll out end-to-end encryption on Messenger and Instagram in spite of the U.K.’s Online Safety Bill.

Q&As

What is the Online Safety Bill passed in the U.K.?
The Online Safety Bill is a law passed in the U.K. that includes a clause that could allow the U.K.'s communications regulator, Ofcom, to break the encryption of apps and services under the guise of making sure illegal material such as child sexual exploitation and abuse content is removed.

What could the U.K.'s communications regulator, Ofcom, do under the Online Safety Bill?
Ofcom could fine companies not in compliance up to £18 million ($22.28 million), or 10% of their global annual revenue, under the bill — whichever is greater.

What data has Signal handed over in response to search warrants?
Signal has handed over limited data in response to search warrants, including the phone number registered to a Signal account and the last time a user accessed their account.

What has contributed to Signal's success?
Signal's dedication to privacy has contributed to its success, as of January 2022, the platform had approximately 40 million monthly active users and over 100 million downloads.

What is Signal's president, Meredith Whittaker, hopeful for in regards to encrypted messaging?
Meredith Whittaker is hopeful that encrypted messaging will someday become synonymous with messaging, and that communications in the digital space will respect the norm of communications for hundreds and thousands of years, which was, if I’m talking to my boss [or] my potential employer, that conversation isn’t be surveilled. No one’s keeping a copy of it that could be subpoenaed later.

AI Comments

👍 Meredith Whittaker's dedication to privacy is admirable. It's great to see the Signal platform growing in popularity with 40 million monthly active users and over 100 million downloads.

👎 The U.K.'s Online Safety Bill could have dangerous implications for user privacy if it's not interpreted correctly. It's concerning that Ofcom could fine companies not in compliance up to £18 million ($22.28 million).

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how the president of the Signal Foundation, Meredith Whittaker, reaffirmed that Signal would leave the U.K. if their recently passed Online Safety Bill forced Signal to build "backdoors" into its end-to-end encryption.

Friend: That's a pretty bold move. Do you think it will be successful or will the U.K. force them to stay?

Me: It's hard to say. Meredith Whittaker did express her fears about the implications of the bill, and she noted that Signal takes steps to ensure their users remain anonymous, regardless of the laws and regulations in their particular country. I think it's a brave move, and it speaks to Signal's commitment to privacy. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

Action items

Sign up for Signal and encourage others to do the same.
Follow the Signal Foundation on social media and share their updates to raise awareness about the importance of privacy.
Contact your local representatives and urge them to support legislation that protects user privacy.

Technical terms

Backdoors: A backdoor is a method of bypassing normal authentication in a product, computer system, or encrypted data. It is a security vulnerability that can allow an attacker to gain access to a system or data without authentication.
End-to-end encryption: End-to-end encryption is a system of communication where only the communicating users can read the messages. It prevents potential eavesdroppers – including telecom providers, Internet providers, and even the provider of the communication service – from being able to access the cryptographic keys needed to decrypt the conversation.
Online Safety Bill: The Online Safety Bill is a law passed in the United Kingdom in September 2020. It includes a clause that allows the U.K.’s communications regulator, Ofcom, to break the encryption of apps and services under the guise of making sure illegal material such as child sexual exploitation and abuse content is removed.
Search Warrant: A search warrant is a court order issued by a judge or magistrate that authorizes law enforcement to search a person’s property for evidence of a crime and seize any evidence found.
Monthly Active Users: Monthly active users (MAUs) is a metric used to measure the number of unique users who access a website, application, or service in a given month.
Subpoenaed: A subpoena is a legal document issued by a court or other legal authority that orders a person to appear in court or to produce documents or other evidence.