WhatsApp won't bend to government's calls for less encryption

WhatsApp has been under fire from all angles in recent months, following its planned rollout of new privacy terms that’ll allow it access to cross-platform data. Now the reverse is true. WhatsApp is challenging the UK government’s call to reduce encryption on its messaging platform.  WhatsApp sticking to its guns According to TechRadar, the UK government has issued a call to reduce WhatsApp’s encryption, which has been described by their home Secretary Priti Patel as “not acceptable”. That comment in itself raises quite a few questions: would the UK government prefer its citizens’ devices be easily hacked? Don’t they care for digital security?  It feels odd backing a Facebook-owned platform in its campaigns, but this time around they’ve… got a point. The whole thing reeks of a giant PR campaign aimed at gaining support from privacy groups. But we can also back it, because it’s sensible.  Governments may push for less encryption in a platform or a device for ‘the greater good’. More accessibility and backdoors into people’s devices may help state agencies track criminals and terrorists. It may help in high-profile court cases or allows for innocent people to have cases dropped against them. But, should that give them…
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