The Open Rights Group (ORG) has warned the UK Government against seeking an injunction to stop Facebook's encryption plans.
OEG executive director Jim Killock said that people have a right to privacy and encryption was a vital tool for them to protect their private messages. He added that seeking to ban encryption on Facebook Messenger would send a signal to the rest of the world that the UK has no respect for 'personal privacy and security'. Killock acknowledged legitimate concerns about investigating crimes, but warned the Government against facilitating crime by making it harder for people to secure their messages.
The ORG's statement follows a report by Sky News that the UK has not ordered Facebook to provide a backdoor for law enforcement agencies to access end-to-end encrypted messages on WhatsApp. However, new legal powers could be used to stop Facebook's plans to use the same encryption technology with its other services, including Messenger.
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