Meta-owned WhatsApp actually has the choice to keep its platform in the UK, but they believe they have to weaken its platform’s security for that. Let’s discuss all details below.
WhatsApp Is Ready To Get Blocked in the UK Rather Than Weaken the Security
There is no doubt that WhatsApp is the most popular messaging platform in the UK, and as the company claims, its platform is more secure than any other messaging platform with end-to-end encryption chats. Despite this, the government of the country introduced “The Online Safety Bill,” which was raised by Boris Johnson, but this bill is currently in its approval phase by the parliament. With this bill, the government demands that the company should scan messages for child abuse or any terrorist material. To fulfill this demand, platforms like WhatsApp have to lower message security and withdraw encryption for chats. WhatsApp end-to-end encryption chats mean that the company cannot review or check the contents between the chats even though they are running the service. Meta’s popular message platform’s CEO, Will Cathcart, showed disagreement against this and, in an official statement, expressed that they are not going to comply with this bill if it gets passed. As he believes that scanning users’ messages means weakening the privacy of encrypted messages, and for that, they are even ready to get blocked in the country. Will Cathcart said, “We won’t lower the security of WhatsApp. We have never done that – and we have accepted being blocked in other parts of the world.” Cathcart also revealed that around 98% of their users are outside the UK, and they never demanded to lower the security of the product as they also want security like others.
