Facebook, Google, Twitter and Microsoft have said they will do more to combat the “vital issue” of online extremist material but side-stepped home secretary Amber Rudd’s demands about introducing backdoors into end-to-end encryption.
In a joint statement issued following a meeting on the evening of March 30, the four companies said they were “committed” to making their platforms a “hostile space” for terrorists. The statement focussed on efforts to remove extremist propaganda posted online, but made no mention of Rudd’s controversial and ill-informed comments about introducing a surveillance backdoor into end-to-end encryption on WhatsApp and other similar services.
Labour’s Yvette Cooper, shadow home secretary, described the outcome of the meeting as “a bit lame” and criticised Rudd for having “meetings about meetings” that didn’t achieve anything. "All the Government and social media companies appear to have agreed is to discuss options for a possible forum in order to have more discussions.”
In a statement, Rudd said the meeting had instead addressed the removal of material. “We focused on the issue of access to terrorist propaganda online and the very real and evolving threat it poses.” Rudd said she welcomed a commitment from the companies to create a cross-industry platform to better tackle online terrorist propaganda, though no specific details of how it would operate were given.
“We share the government’s commitment to ensuring terrorists do not have a voice online,” the four technology firms said in a statement. The Guardian reports that Rudd will hold a “separate discussion” on the issue of encryption. It is not clear why encryption was not discussed at the meeting on Thursday. Apple reportedly refused to attend as encryption was not on the agenda.
Read more: Dear Amber Rudd, don't use the London terror attacks to break encryption
The need for clear-the-air talks between the government and technology firms follows comments made by Rudd in the wake of Khalid Masood’s attack on Westminster, which killed three people. Masood died at the scene, with reports later suggesting he had checked his WhatsApp messages minutes before the attack. Rudd told the BBC it was “completely unacceptable” that the government could not read messages protected by end-to-end encryption.
Her comments were ridiculed by experts who pointed out that introducing a backdoor into end-to-end encryption would make all messages sent on such platforms insecure. Her comments led to misleading reports in the press that “internet giants” were hiding the “terrorist’s final note”.
Speaking on Sunday, Rudd argued that security services used to be able to “steam open envelopes” to find out what people were doing, insinuating that the same powers should apply to encrypted communications. Her comments failed to address that end-to-end encryption is somewhat more complex than envelope glue.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
