Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Rumblings from OFSTED via the BBC.... "youngsters have smartphones!"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-64330128

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Was on the 10'oclock News that there has been a rise in child sex grooming. Tens of thousands of online grooming crimes have been recorded during the wait for updated.
online safety laws.

Websites continue to resisti the wish of Governments to allow access to encrypted nessages via a back door. They say that this will make the nessages less secure for everybody ans put victims of domestic abuse etc at risk;

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66498601

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Of course they do.
Anyone with an ounce of commen sense can see how stupid that idea is.
"a rise in child sex grooming" is not a good reason to compromise online security.

I really hope you are not dumb enough to believe that, or fall for it.
Perhaps when your bank accounts are hacked by a back door, you'll realise.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

If they have recorded crimes the online safety bill will not make a difference to them as it was already a crime

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Richard, both you and the Government are clueless how the internet works. That is the problem.

There is no forum, site, VPN or Social Media that will allow a backdoor for any access as it risks client security and indeed the sites normal operation. Its a total non starter.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

AFAIK Governments only want a back door to monitor encrypted end to end private messaging.

I personally can see both points regarding privacy & the need to protect vulnerable members of society, prevent terrorism etc.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

you are really showing you naivety now

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

How many of these encrypted message providers are UK based? I doubt those that aren't based here will be that bothered.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

They are as it's not just the UK Government that wants access to encrypted messages. Also, if the relevant sites refuse, they are likely to face sanctions for non compliance.

One party will get their way, but which one??

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

Oh right ....... 'Only' :dozey:

Perhaps you need to look up the work "Private" since you seem unable to grasp its meaning.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

It’s far more likely that the big loser will be the UK consumer as big tech companies decide to exit the UK market rather than bow to the wishes of curtain twitchers on these small islands.

There’s 7 billion people on the planet - the vast majority of whom value privacy - so the idea the tech giants will bow down is fanciful.

What other countries should get a right to this back door?

Iran?
Syria?
China?
India?
Russia?

Do the tech giants create varying back doors depending on how strict or loose laws are in a given territory?

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

When HMG realises that Meta is about to close WhatsApp in the UK rather than fundamentally undo the entire point of strong encryption, HMG will find some face-saving way to back down. WhatsApp groups are the engine of every interest group within every political party in Westminster. If nothing else persuades them, this will.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

The Lords debated this and now require a "suitable person" to authorise access but not defining what that person will be. One peer recognised that to have the mechanisms available to allow access (however authorised) makes the whole encryption vulnerable.


I wonder what would happen if access was available, services remained in the UK and then some group of vulnerable people that relied on the secure service to report issues or communicate was suddenly targeted because the nasties found/made a copy of the back door key.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

That's an argument against it that the tech firms are using.

---------- Post added at 18:22 ---------- Previous post was at 18:16 ----------

Oh yes, if the various Governments do back down you can be sure that it will be spun to look like they haven't.

Re: Online Safety Bill
 

The EU version of the forthcoming Online Safety Act is now going through. It's called the Online Services Act.

According to the BBC's Media Show, it's expected to affect the UK as EU legislation usually becomes a defacto global model, such as the GDPR. I'm assuming that this is because companies find it easier to work to a standard set of rules.