Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta (formerly known as Facebook), has come under fire from Security Minister Tom Tugendhat over the company’s decision to introduce encryption in Facebook messages. Tugendhat criticized Meta for allowing child abusers to operate with impunity due to the implementation of end-to-end encryption (E2EE), which restricts access to messages only to the sender and recipient.
The government has been a longstanding critic of encryption plans, arguing that it hinders law enforcement efforts to combat child sexual abuse and other illegal activities. Meta, however, has stated its commitment to collaborating with law enforcement agencies and child safety experts while implementing encryption technology.
Tugendhat singled out Mark Zuckerberg for his role in these decisions, asserting that they represent an extraordinary moral choice that disregards the prevalence of child sexual exploitation. The security minister made these remarks during his speech at the PIER23 conference on tackling online harms held at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford.
To address the issue, the government plans to launch an advertising campaign aimed at informing parents about Meta’s choices and the potential impact on child safety. The campaign will employ various mediums such as print, online, and broadcast media, with the objective of urging tech companies to take responsibility and prioritize the protection of children. The Home Office, when approached by the BBC, declined to provide further details regarding the specifics of the campaign.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has responded to criticism by arguing that a majority of British people rely on encrypted apps to protect themselves from hackers, fraudsters, and criminals. The company emphasized that it has developed safety measures to combat abuse while maintaining online privacy and security, as it believes that people do not want their private messages to be read.
Meta also highlighted its ongoing efforts to remove and report millions of inappropriate images each month. Even WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta and uses end-to-end encryption, reported over one million incidents in a year. These statements come in response to the government’s concerns regarding encryption plans and campaigns urging Meta to abandon its implementation.
The Information Commissioner’s Office, the data watchdog, has previously supported encryption technology, asserting that it helps safeguard children from criminals and abusers. It urged Meta to proceed with implementing encryption without delay. However, the government’s Online Safety Bill, currently under consideration in Parliament, includes provisions that could empower communication regulator Ofcom to direct platforms to adopt accredited technology for scanning message content.
Messaging platforms such as Signal and WhatsApp have previously stated that they would refuse to compromise the privacy of their encrypted systems if directed to do so. The government contends that technological solutions can be developed to scan encrypted messages for child abuse material. Critics argue that this would require installing software on devices to scan messages before they are sent, a process known as client-side scanning. They assert that such an approach would fundamentally undermine message privacy, akin to digging a hole under a fence.
While Apple attempted client-side scanning, it faced significant backlash and subsequently abandoned the initiative. Former National Cyber Security Centre boss Ciaran Martin suggested in an article that Apple privately opposes the powers outlined in the Online Safety Bill, but the company has yet to publicly state its position on the matter. Recent Freedom of Information requests have revealed that Apple has held four meetings with the Ofcom team responsible for developing policy regarding the enforcement of the relevant section of the bill since April 2022.