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Several major tech companies have spoken out against the UK’s proposed digital surveillance laws, asking its government to reconsider out of fear that they will weaken online security and leave users more vulnerable to cyber attack.
Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Twitter and Yahoo are five of the major tech firms behind the Reform Government Surveillance Group, former in 2013, that have advocated for widespread changes in US government surveillance in the past. However, the group believes that the UK’s latest laws could have “major implications” that could influence other regions, noting in written evidence of their findings: “Key elements of whatever legislation is passed by the UK are likely to be replicated by other countries, including with respect to UK citizens’ data.”
The evidence points towards the vagueness of the proposed law as presenting the risk of “backdoors” being placed in software, which make users more vulnerable to online attacks. “The companies believe that encryption is a fundamental security tool, important to the security of the digital economy as well as crucial to ensuring the safety of web users worldwide,” the evidence reads, adding: “We reject any proposals that would require companies to deliberately weaken the security of their products via backdoors, forced decryption, or any other means. We therefore have concerns that the Bill includes “obligations relating to the removal of electronic protection applied by a relevant operator to any communication or data” and that these are explicitly intended to apply extraterritorially with limited protections for overseas providers.”
The bill, branded the Snoopers Charter. was introduced by UK home secretary Theresa May shortly following the Conservatives’ election victory in 2015, with it being sold on the idea that it would help to combat terrorism. Prime Minister David Cameron had previously tried to enforce it during the coalition government, but the Liberal Democrats had blocked the law and prevented it from being put into place.
It remains to be seen whether the Reform Government Surveillance Group’s accumulated evidence will have an impact upon the UK government’s position regarding the law, but with concerns for online security at an all-time high following a number of high-profile cyber attacks over the past few years, it’s encouraging to know that several high-profile companies are putting their weight behind defending the safety of our personal data on the web.
