UK could possibly ban WhatsAPP

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Grep

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Britons could see the hugely popular cross-platform app BANNED under strict new laws on social media and online messaging services.

Prime Minister David Cameron is pressing ahead with new legislation that plans to stop people from sending any form of encrypted messages.

A number of popular messaging services – including WhatsApp, iMessage and Snapchat – currently scramble communications between their users.

http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/590061/WhatsApp-UK-Ban-Weeks-Snoopers-Charter

And we thought the poor Aussies had it bad!
 
When can this happen here as well? We don't know what they really take from your phone, but it is forsure more than just phone numbers...
 
Relax, its never gonna happen. Half of England will throw a tantrum if their imessage doesn't work any more.
 
HavocXphere said:
Relax, its never gonna happen. Half of England will throw a tantrum if their imessage doesn't work any more.
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They may have to. They could produce a "lite" version for the UK which does not allow the sending or encrypted stuff, or give the decryption keys to MI5 and then the app will be allowed.
 
Space_Chief said:
They may have to. They could produce a "lite" version for the UK which does not allow the sending or encrypted stuff, or give the decryption keys to MI5 and then the app will be allowed.
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Whatsapp is an example of something that is affected as a result of this envisioned broad law. Unless they plan on re-writing the entire internet & banking infrastructure from scratch they can forget it. They might as well just pull a north korea and disconnect the UK from the internet completely.

Would be interesting to see them try though...
 
HavocXphere said:
Whatsapp is an example of something that is affected as a result of this envisioned broad law. Unless they plan on re-writing the entire internet & banking infrastructure from scratch they can forget it. They might as well just pull a north korea and disconnect the UK from the internet completely.

Would be interesting to see them try though...
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They don't have to go to such extremes. And they can leave banking alone because banks co-operate with the government.

They just want to restrict the use of encryption software for P2P communication. We've already seen True Crypt destroyed. Other encryption systems may have backdoors. And if such backdoors are not there companies may be forced to covertly or overtly put them in. Brits live in council houses, they may as well allow Big Brother to listen to what they say.
 
What do you have to hide from the government exactly? Your dck pics? Really?... You're going to risk peoples lives for dck pics?

Even with warrants they cannot access these communications.

They should have access to these communications so that they can better observe people on their watch lists. That they effectively can't right now, is retarded. That translates into them having to spend huge amounts of tax payers money trying to watch a fraction of the watch list, because there is not nearly enough money or man power to watch everyone on the list with conventional methods, and the watch lists continue to grow. If they can't watch most of the people on their lists, then they can't do the job that tax payers are paying them to do.

The same people complain about CCTV, and yet footage is used as evidence in most convictions in the UK, often turning a difficult to prove case into a slam dunk.

They aren't going to outlaw encryption on banking validation, they could specifically outline the types of communications which are not allowed to be encrypted, or create exceptions.
As for companies, they will jump through hoops if they want access to the worlds 5th largest economy, or they will lose access. We've seen companies jumping through all sorts of hoops for non western countries, to gain access to those markets.

To address the "the criminals are not stupid, they will just find new ways" argument.. Some criminals will, others are most definitely stupid. Pledging allegience to ISIS on facebook a week before they carry out an attack.. Using military desktops to access terrorist material.. Trying to groom a computer generated child.. So many fkn morons to catch.
 
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The argument that if you are doing nothing wrong you have nothing to hide, so let whoever wants to do it, access and monitor your communications, is extremely naïve. Governments and authorities change. What is acceptable today my be unlawful tomorrow, and you cannot take back what you have already put out there.

My experience in life is that any information about myself that is known to others, whether supplied by me or taken through monitoring, is only ever used to my disadvantage.

Do people ever stop and consider, why those who would have us leading completely transparent lives, not even being permitted a private personal thought, are themselves so secretive and ferociously guard their privacy!
 
infodrop said:
The argument that if you are doing nothing wrong you have nothing to hide, so let whoever wants to do it, access and monitor your communications, is extremely naïve. Governments and authorities change. What is acceptable today my be unlawful tomorrow, and you cannot take back what you have already put out there.

My experience in life is that any information about myself that is known to others, whether supplied by me or taken through monitoring, is only ever used to my disadvantage.

Do people ever stop and consider, why those who would have us leading completely transparent lives, not even being permitted a private personal thought, are themselves so secretive and ferociously guard their privacy!
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It's all about the dick pics man.

I'd like to see them try banning whatsapp, one big massive public backlash incoming.

If David Cameron wants to do this, then he should set an example, have all his conversations including between he and his wife be made public 24/7
 
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"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
-Benjamin Franklin
 
TriGuN said:
What do you have to hide from the government exactly? .
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Do you understand why the legal system requires a warrant?

If you do, then apply your mind to your question. the answer is easy really!!!
 
I'll be happy to decrypt my communications the second I as a citizen get unbridled access to all governments decisions and papers so I can see exactly what's going on. After all no one has anything to hide right ?
 
Just like BBM, the others will end up giving the governments a backdoor to use when they have a warrant (if they want to stay in each market that decides it wants access, USA probably already has access or will be one of the next to ask for it).
 
silver6933 said:
Do you understand why the legal system requires a warrant?
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These companies refuse to abide by warrants, which is why this is happening. They went out of their way to design their new security so that even they don't have access to the data, and this is specifically to bypass legal warrants.

Someone using their service could literally detonate a dirty bomb in a city center and these companies would be all like "Our hands are tied. We apply maximum encryption as a selling point, and our profits are more important than anything else. We will not erode consumer trust for any reason whatsoever. We are an international company and we don't care about your national security."
 
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Legal interception has long been a requirement of governments. The way I see it, this is simply a bid to try to retain their capabilities. They're not really getting anything new. The question of whether government should be able to access personal communication has been decided when legal interception was first introduced.
 
I made an FB account, using my gmail email, and added my photo, name, surname and 21 friends. I locked down FB as much as i can. I didn't put my cell number or any other thing on FB, I only open FB on my iPad. (Im useless on FB)

I don't have my email/contacts of any kind on my ipad.
I use gmail account just for youtube, and for gtalk, but other than that no, get 7 mails a year, and has only 2 contacts (for gtalk)

On my phone I only have my work email, BBM and whatsapp. I never opened FB with app or webpage on phone. So in theory FB and Whatsapp doesn't have any overlapping details. Except my Name and surname.

Then all of a sudend FB suggest nearly everyone on my contacts (that I last had contact with in 2001)
People that I never mailed, phoned or had any interaction with, I just had their contact details on my contacts for work purposes.

This happend after FB bought Whatsapp. So how did they link the two togheter out of this millions if not bilions of users?
 
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