News that the FBI had then offered to unlock another iPhone on behalf of police in Arkansas investigating two teenagers accused of killing a couple simply reinforced that perception.
However, all that has changed now that WhatsApp, the instant messaging service, is encrypting all its users’ communications. The move has been welcomed as a major victory for free speech.
Describing protecting private communication as one of its ‘core values’, WhatsApp’s owner Facebook has raised the stakes further in this ongoing debate and a clash between the company and law enforcement agencies can be expected.
The new encryption service means that, when a person sends a message, it will only be able to be read by the person, or group, to which it wasbeen sent. According to the company, ‘no one can see inside that message’ – even WhatsApp.
Amnesty International said that providing end to end encryption for 1billion WhatsApp users worldwide is a major boost for people’s ability to express themselves and communicate without fear.
The move has, unsurprisingly, disappointed law enforcement agencies, which say it will make their job even harder. In fact, even if agencies get a warrant to access a phone, Whatsapp can dismiss the request by saying it doesn’t have a key.
While it isn’t the first service to be encrypted, it is certainly the largest and, in truth, any criminal or terrorist has long been able to encrypt their communications.
While the debate around unlocking the iPhone 5C was essentially about hardware, the next round in this argument will concern software and if those calling for the authorities to have access to a ‘back door’ into encrypted devices get their way, the whole concept of encryption could be undermined. And that has significant implications for everyone.
