Online Safety Bill could lead to WhatsApp disappearing from the UK due to end-to-end encryption controversy

The UK government risks confronting messaging platform WhatsApp over its proposed Online Safety Bill. The move could see the app disappear from the UK.

The Online Safety Bill, advancing through the House of Lords, gives UK communications regulator Ofcom the power to require social networks to counter-terrorism or child sexual abuse content, with penalties of up to 10% of global turnover for non-compliant services. The companies must use their best endeavours to develop or obtain technology to comply with the notice.

However, it is technologically impossible to read user messages for messaging apps that secure their user data with end-to-end encryption. The chief executive of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, said that the company would choose to protect the security of its non-UK users, as 98 percent of our users are outside the UK. Lawmakers urged the government to take the concerns seriously.

A Home Office spokesman said it supported strong encryption but not at the expense of public safety. With unprecedented levels of child sexual abuse on their platforms, tech companies have a moral duty to ensure they are not hiding it from themselves and law enforcement.