Apple Criticizes UK Bill That Could Require Scanning of Encrypted Messages

Apple is the latest major tech corporation opposed to the United Kingdom’s pending Online Safety Bill, which threatens the end-to-end encryption that protected private messages. Apple’s iMessage messaging app provides encryption between Apple iMessage users, which is a proprietary messaging platform for Apple accounts only.

However, Apple is smart enough to realize that the passing of the proposed law would threaten data privacy and encrypted messaging far beyond its walled garden.

It could have serious implications for the privacy and security of messaging, setting a dangerous, invasive legal precedent.

Scanning encrypted messaging exposes at-risk populations

The proposed UK law could force encrypted messaging services like iMessage, WhatsApp, and Signal to scan messages for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The company says that the bill, known as the Online Safety Bill, poses a “serious threat” to end-to-end encryption.

End-to-end encryption means that only the sender and recipient of a message can read it, not even Apple or the government. This makes it a valuable tool for protecting sensitive communications, such as those between journalists, human rights activists, and victims of abuse.

The UK government says that the Online Safety Bill is necessary to protect children from CSAM. However, Apple argues that the bill’s scanning requirements would be ineffective and could have unintended consequences.

For example, it could lead to false positives, where innocent messages are flagged as CSAM. It could also be used to scan for other types of content, such as political or religious speech.

Apple and other tech companies argue that there are other ways to achieve this goal without undermining the security of end-to-end encryption.

Widespread criticism of the UK Online Safety Bill

Apple is not the only organization that has criticized the Online Safety Bill.

A group of 80 tech experts and organizations, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Open Rights Group, have written to the UK government urging them to amend the bill to protect encryption.

The Online Safety Bill is currently being debated in the UK Parliament. It is unclear whether the government will make any changes to the bill in response to the criticism.

Apple certainly will have the deep pockets needed to continue litigation and lobbying for its interests against the proposed bill. Apple just became the world’s first corporation to close with a market value above $3 trillion on Friday.