Facebook encryption ‘giving predators a place to hide’

FACEBOOK has been accused of “showing a complete disregard for children” after it announced it is encrypting its messaging service.

The NSPCC said the decision, which will hide the content of Facebook Messenger communications even from Facebook staff, would give “groomers a place to hide” as they target victims.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, announced the move yesterday as he said the social media giant was “focusing on privacy first” following a series of user data scandals.

In future, the app’s 1.3 billion-plus users will have to opt out if they want their messages to be unencrypted.

Andy Burrows, NSPCC associate head of child safety online, said: “Facebook is showing a complete disregard for children’s safety with this move. Zuckerberg has ploughed ahead despite openly acknowledging that it will mean children will be less safe. This is because Facebook cannot access these messages to provide evidence to police in criminal cases. It gives groomers a place to hide as they target children.

“This cavalier attitude can only be stemmed by bringing in an independent regulator that will hold tech companies to account, with tough criminal sanctions facing those that fail in their duty of care to children.”

The Government is currently considering plans to bring in a statutory duty of care enforced by a new regulator to ensure tech companies better protect children from online harms.

Earlier this year, the NSPCC found nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of the 1,944 grooming incidents recorded in England and Wales in a six-month period happened on Facebook.

Mr Zuckerberg said yesterday that the company would wait a year to implement Messenger encryption so it could consult with governments and get the “trade-off right” between privacy and law enforcement.