End-to-end encrypted messaging services such as WhatsApp are a “playground for paedophiles”, former home secretary Sajid Javid has said.
Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC on Tuesday, Mr Javid said: “In the bill, the Government has introduced an amendment, that I want to say because some people are campaigning against it. And this is to do with something called end-to encryption. And that’s when someone uses say WhatsApp, the message today is completely totally, utterly, private between the sender and the recipient.
“This is a playground for paedophiles. This is something where they can share this imagery and stuff and not be frightened of getting caught in any way or being punished because this is a digital playground.”
He said that the Government had developed software that would “pre-screen” the content, and prevent child abuse imagery from being shared.
“I think that people will be shocked to learn that that’s what’s happening with this kind of end-to-end encryption. What the Government, working with industry, the IWF (Internet Watch Foundation), and others have come up with is a privacy friendly way to pre-screen such content.
“So think of it as something that some software that’s on your smartphone. There’s no third-party access, but it pre-screens it and prevents the uploading of child sexual imagery and videos so they cannot be shared.”
