Following the news that the European Commission are looking to push for backdoors access for apps in June, making it easier for security agencies to access data on social media services like Whatsapp.
With the EU looking to clamp down on social media apps that hide user communications, Lee Munson, Security Researcher for Security and Privacy Advice and Comparison Website Comparitech.com commented below.
Lee Munson, Security Researcher at Comparitech.com:
“If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear’ is a phrase that’s been spoken many times and it is as true today as it ever has been.
In theory only.
In practice, every citizen within the European Union should be concerned that Amber Rudd’s recent sloppy comments about sliding a backdoor into WhatsApp have been picked up by the EU Justice Commissioner.
Whether her plan to take that further by slipping backdoors into all encrypted communication channels is bought into by providers by agreement, or through the big stick of legislation, the aim is still the same – the EU wants to know what people are saying, even through platforms that were designed to guarantee their privacy.
While such a move may, some would say, lead to an anti-terrorism arrest or two, it more than likely won’t – because those with murder in mind will just switch to unregulated apps, old-fashioned letters and code books, or simply switch to the lone wolf approach that is already proving so problematic to the intelligence services.
Thus, all Vera Jourava will achieve is the eradication of privacy for the Eurozone’s law-abiding citizens, the weakening of important technology used to secure sensitive corporate data and the death knell for the protections that currently surround many online payment methodologies.”
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