WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart has said that the security of their messaging platform would not be weakened following any government orders. In an interview with the BBC, Cathcart said that WhatsApp is used by millions of individuals to communicate throughout the globe, thus it must uphold the same privacy rules in every country. Earlier this month, the UK government proposed legislation that would force encrypted messaging services like WhatsApp to use automated scanning to spot child sexual abuse content being sent through their platforms, or risk facing heavy fines. The UK Online Safety Bill amendment would oblige tech companies to use their ‘best endeavours’ to implement new technology that detects and eliminates child sexual abuse content. It follows Home Secretary Priti Patel’s praise for Apple’s plans to combat child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Apple announced the plan last year, although it was postponed following criticism by privacy groups. “Child sexual abuse is a sickening crime,” Patel said. “We must all work to ensure criminals are not allowed to run rampant online and technology companies must play their part and take responsibility for keeping our children safe.” She said security and privacy are not mutually exclusive and it is possible to…
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WhatsApp CEO says it would be 'foolish' to bow to government pressure on encryption
