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New Australia bill gives police power to spy on WhatsApp messages
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IANS | 05 Dec, 2018
Australia is mulling a strict
law that gives enforcement agencies power to track messages on platforms
like WhatsApp and Telegram that offer end-to-end encryption and also to
force users to open their smartphones when demanded, a media report
said.
The controversial encryption bill comes amid allegations of
encrypted platforms facilitating spread of rumours, hate speech and
even criminal activities like child trafficking and drugs businesses.
In
countries like India, messages circulated in WhatsApp have been linked
to several lynching cases, forcing the government to ask platform to
take suitable preventive action.
But the new Australia bill also
raises privacy concerns as under the proposed legislation, the
Australian government agencies could compel companies to build spyware.
The
proposed laws could force companies to remove electronic protections,
assist government agencies in accessing material from a suspect's
device, and in getting technical information such as design
specifications to help in an investigation, News.com.au reported on
Wednesday.
Critics have slammed the bill for being broad in
scope, vague and potentially damaging to the security of the global
digital economy, the report said, adding that a Parliamentary Joint
Committee on Intelligence and Security has been scrutinizing the bill.
The
laws will help security agencies nab terrorists, child sex offenders
and other serious criminals, Australia's Attorney-General Christian
Porter was quoted as saying.
About 95 per cent of people currently being surveilled by security agencies are using encrypted messages, he added.
The
spying powers are limited to only "serious offences" such as preventing
terrorism and tackling organised crime in Australia, dailymail.co.uk
reported.
In a statement to IANS, WhatsApp said it cares deeply about the privacy of its users.
"WhatsApp
cares deeply about the privacy of our users and we remain committed to
providing end-to-end encryption," a company spokesperson said on
Wednesday.
WhatsApp has challenged government attempts to curtail the use of end-to-end encryption in the past, most notably in Brazil.
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