UK’s Updated Security Bill
Short-sided internet safety bills aren’t just limited to the United States. The most recent example of that is the United Kingdom’s proposed updates to the Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) 2016. The new additions under consideration would require messaging service providers to clear new security features with the government’s Home Office before rolling them out to users.
Apple recently pushed back against the move, arguing it would give the Home Office the power to control its security and encryption practices all around the world. Pulling out the big guns, Apple threatened to remove FaceTime and iMessage from the UK if the provisions end up making their way through. Others like Meta-owned WhatsApp and Signal have also said they would rather cut off access than compromise their end-to-end encryption.
