2016-04-08

WhatsApp BAN: Why 100 million people could soon be blocked from sending messages

Whatsapp encryption could block 100 billion people from seding messages

THE END: WhatsApp faces major ban with 100 million users blocked from the service

WhatsApp announced earlier this week that every message sent on the service is now totally secure.

In fact, with the introduction of end-to-end encryption only people involved in the chat can read what's being sent.

Although WhatsApp fans will clearly like this idea, it might not go down so well with law enforcement agencies and global governments.

The UK announced last year that it would attempt to crack down on encrypted messaging with PM David Cameron saying "If I am Prime Minister, I will make sure it is a comprehensive piece of legislation that makes sure we do not allow terrorist safe spaces to communicate with each other."



However, one country that could face the biggest issue is India.

India has strict laws on encryption and it seems WhatsApp's latest update breaks these tough rules.

What makes this so serious for WhatsApp is that India has one of the world's largest number of users, with over 100 million fans logging in to the service.

The Indian government has so far stayed tight-lipped on the subject as a total ban could cause outrage in the country, but it could block WhatsApp if it feels the messaging service is a threat to security.

And it wouldn't be the first time a tech company has got in trouble with Indian laws.

Smartphone maker BlackBerry ran into trouble over the security threat posed by its encryption.

In 2010, the government had threatened to ban BlackBerry over accessing its encrypted messenger and email service.

After a four-year standoff the Canadian firm agreed to establish local data servers to reduce security issues.

For now WhatsApp is standing by its decision to blocks access to all messages with the firm saying: "No one can see inside that message.

"Not cybercriminals. Not hackers.

"Not oppressive regimes.

"Not even us. End-to-end encryption helps make communication via WhatsApp private – sort of like a face-to-face conversation."


Source: DailyStar UK

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