Today The UK Parliament Undermined The Privacy, Security, And Freedom Of All Internet Users
www.eff.org
The U.K. Parliament has passed the Online Safety Bill (OSB), which says it will make the U.K. “the safest place” in the world to be online. In reality, the OSB will lead to a much more censored, locked-down internet for British users. The bill could empower the government to undermine not just the privacy and security of U.K. residents, but internet users worldwide.

Summary

The UK Parliament has passed the Online Safety Bill (OSB), claiming it will enhance online safety but actually leading to increased censorship and surveillance. The bill grants the government the authority to compel tech companies to scan all user data, including encrypted messages, to detect child abuse content, effectively creating a backdoor. This jeopardizes privacy and security for everyone. The bill also mandates the removal of content deemed inappropriate for children, potentially resulting in politicized censorship decisions. Age-verification systems may infringe on anonymity and free speech. The implications of how these powers will be used are a cause for concern, with the possibility that encrypted services may withdraw from the UK if their users’ security is compromised.

    • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
      3·
      11 months ago

      The conservatives are pretty bad at the best of times but the last 5 or 6 years they’ve been utterly appalling.

  • simple@lemm.eeEnglish
    4·
    11 months ago

    This would affect even messages and files that are end-to-end encrypted to protect user privacy.

    But how would they even enforce that? It’s E2E, and I doubt anyone would add backdoors to every app, website, and service that uses it.

    • Leraje@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
      6·
      11 months ago

      They won’t need to. Signal, WhatsApp, Session and iMessage (Apple) have already said they’ll withdraw their products from the UK market. Meta are making similar noises regarding Facebook Messenger.

    • ono@lemmy.caEnglish
      1·
      11 months ago

      They don’t need to backdoor end-to-end encryption when they can instead snoop at the endpoints (e.g. the apps).

      Governments can force service providers to either do that or no longer operate in their jurisdiction.

      This won’t stop especially knowledgeable people (including criminals) from using encrypted comms, but it will make it much harder to access for everyone else, thereby robbing the general population of an essential safety tool, among other things. It’s terrible for democracy and dangerous to vulnerable populations. The article is worth reading.

    • HumanPerson@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      1·
      11 months ago

      You mean you didn’t hear about that new encryption standard that keeps your data completely private from everyone except for the good guys?

  • LoafyLemon@kbin.social
    3·
    11 months ago

    Just fabulous! I absolutely can’t wait for Facebook and the gang to graciously remove their apps from the stores. It’s not like I rely on services like WhatsApp for daily communication or anything. But honestly, who wouldn’t want Rishi Sunak to have a front-row seat to all our messages? It’s like a dream come true, really.

  • Possibly linux@lemmy.zipEnglish
    2·
    11 months ago

    This is why I hesitate to store my data in a foreign country. The US has lots of problems but at least I get a vote here