Apple has launched a blistering attack on government proposals that would force tech firms to clear new privacy features with the Home Office
Robin Wilton, a director at the Internet Society, said Apple's latest intervention was timed for maximum impact., the government's flagship internet safety legislation which could force companies to scan messages for abuse content, made it through the House of Lords.
Mr Wilton told Sky News:"It's not only driven by the proposed amendments to this act, but their perception of the general policy direction of the UK government."What is in the online safety bill?Matthew Hodgson, the boss of UK-based messaging platform Element, which counts Britain's Ministry of Defence among its clients, hopes the intervention of such a major company will scupper the proposals.
Mr Hodgson said firms were"not bluffing" by threatening to withdraw services from the UK due to the government's stance on encryption. WhatsApp and Signal have claimed they will pull out"I am glad Apple is taking a strong line - the idea one has to seek permission from the government to add or change encryption on your product is terrifying," he said.
"This strategy will only undermine our ability to provide secure communications because customers won't trust us if they believe policy decisions have to be run past the government."
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