Cybersecurity
Australia Set to Spy on WhatsApp Messages With Encryption Law
- Facebook, Google group has lobbied against the legislation
- Government says enforcement needed to foil terrorist attacks
The legislation could force companies such as Facebook and Google to help de-crypt such private communications.
Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg
This article is for subscribers only.
Australia is set to give its police and intelligence agencies the power to access encrypted messages on platforms such as WhatsApp, becoming the latest country to face down privacy concerns in the name of public safety.
Amid protests from companies such as Facebook Inc. and Google, the government and main opposition struck a deal on Tuesday that should see the legislation passed by parliament this week. Under the proposed powers, technology companies could be forced to help decrypt communications on popular messaging apps, or even build new functionality to help police access data.