Google encryption ‘will make it harder to tackle abuse’

GOOGLE’S plan to follow Facebook and encrypt messages will blind l aw enforcement to child abuse, the Home Office has warned.

The tech giant is rolling out end-toend encryption on its messages app, one of the most popular on Android phones and often pre-installed as default. It is seen by experts as a move to enable it to compete with other encrypted messaging services like Whatsapp and Signal, and with Facebook, which plans for encryption across all its platforms.

However, a Home Office spokesman told The Daily Telegraph: “The Government supports strong encryption, protecting privacy, and keeping data secure online. But we’ve been very clear that tech companies should not blind themselves and law enforcement to the sickening child abuse happening on their sites. That is why last month the Home Secretary signed an international statement calling on tech firms to work with governments on solutions that put public safety first.”

Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, has led demands for Facebook to rethink its plans amid fears that millions of communications and child abuse images that are passed on for investigation will be lost to law enforcement agencies if encryption goes ahead.

Britain and its partners in the Five Eyes intelligence network of countries have urged Facebook to allow “lawful access” to suspect messages to enable investigators to pursue child abusers, terrorists and criminals, but the tech giant has so far resisted.

The Home Office said Facebook’s proposals would remove 12 million reports of child abuse to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children every year, which have led to more than 2,500 arrests in the UK and 3,000 British children being safeguarded.

Andy Burrows, head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC, said: “Endto-end encryption is a clear backward step for children’s safety, because it makes it harder, if not impossible, to detect and disrupt grooming and child abuse images. Tech firms shouldn’t roll out encryption unless they can address child safety risks, with technology in place to stop child abuse images being freely shared.

“We’re in active discussions with Google on their next steps.”

Encryption means that the content of messages remains secret even to the service, and can only be decrypted by the receiving person’s device. By being unable to detect child abuse messages, critics warn that they will not be able to take action against suspect users.