The UK has plans to update the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) 2016, which would require messaging services to disable their security features at the request of authorities in a bid to “protect the public from criminals, paedophiles and terrorists”.
Apple has expressed concern that the new changes could compromise data security and information privacy and has threatened to pull iMessage and FaceTime from the UK if the revised act passes.
WhatsApp and Signal also strongly objected to a clause in the online security law, which essentially requires services to install a backdoor for end-to-end encryption. The introduction of a workaround for encrypted messages means they are no longer encrypted, and Signal has also threatened to “walk” from the UK.
If the law passes, messaging platforms would have to notify the Home Office of any changes to product security features before they are released; Non-UK companies must apply the change to their product globally and must act immediately, rather than facing red tape. Apple said these proposals “pose a serious and direct threat” to people outside the UK.
The Investigatory Powers Act is undergoing an eight-week consultation process on proposed amendments, and analysts predict that tech companies are unlikely to buy into the changes.
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