Two-thirds of Brits don't trust any government with their encrypted chats
Brits would quite like their private messages to stay private
New polling by the Center for Democracy & Technology reveals that 93% of British adults believe they have a right to private online conversations, and 89% think no one should access personal messages without a court order. Two-thirds distrust both the current and any future government with the power to access encrypted messages, with distrust spanning all political parties. The survey of 2,000 adults also found that 53% think the security risks of government access outweigh benefits, and 65% would become more cautious in their online behavior. The findings come amid ongoing UK government efforts to access encrypted data, including a secret notice to Apple.
The British public instinctively know that being able to communicate privately is crucial to our individuality and to the survival of a free and open society.
- freakynit
All surveillance should start with ministers first. Their private lives streamed 24/7 over internet for the public to watch.
Of course, this is only for national security since humans are corruptible, and these people have vastly most control over a nation's resources, thus, 24/7 monitoring of their private lives, by the public, is super important... for national security ... or else how we can be sure they have not been compromised by a foreign power.. or are not being blackmailed to act against the nation?
All for national security... nothing else.
- nickslaughter02
A few people mention EU. Let me remind you:
> European Commission Revives Push for Encryption Backdoors in ProtectEU Strategy, Framing Mass Surveillance as “Lawful Access”
https://reclaimthenet.org/eu-protecteu-strategy-encryption-b...
- softwaredoug
In the US we have tech companies complying with sketchy DHS subpoenas that don’t require warrants. We have DoJ targeting political enemies. We have FISA mass surveillance.
It’s naive to think politically motivated surveillance can’t happen in the UK and elsewhere. Or to assume that only the “right people” will be the ones able to break encryption.
- hackersnooze1
I am not convinced they do, they keep voting to give away their privacy every year.
- HPsquared
Generally speaking the more important an issue is, the less it is allowed to be affected by democratic processes. That's why Brexit was such a big upset, it bucked the trend (the management miscalculated, nobody expected the result and would not have put it to referendum otherwise).
- IndySun
To all of us, British or otherwise, who're posting our rabbit-holing Democracy and Brexit comments, a moment of cutting light relief. Enjoy some "Yes, Prime Minister".
- 21asdffdsa12
Well, they would have loved to stop migration and voted in droves for brexit for that. Cant have that though, democracy or not, can vote for any party, but cant have that result they all promise before the vote closes and never deliver once the vote is in.
- janpeuker
A long time ago I walked into a public library to get a library card, already my ID in hand. Staff looked at me aghast "why would we need an ID for a card, that'd be ridiculous!". I feel Brits take privacy quite seriously.