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   Creating apps like Signal or WhatsApp could be 'hostile activity,' claims UK   
   watchdog   
      
   Date:   
   Wed, 17 Dec 2025 15:42:37 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   An independent review of the newly implemented National Security Act suggests   
   that developers of encrypted messaging apps may be considered hostile actors.   
   This, as lawmakers' pressure against encryption keeps growing.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   Developers of apps that use end-to-end encryption to protect private   
   communications could be considered hostile actors in the UK.    
      
   That is the stark warning from Jonathan Hall KC, the governments Independent   
   Reviewer of State Threats Legislation and Independent Reviewer of Terrorism   
   Legislation, in a new report on national security laws.    
      
   In his independent review of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act    
   and the newly implemented National Security Act, Hall KC highlights the   
   incredibly broad scope of powers granted to authorities.    
      
   He warns that developers of apps like Signal and WhatsApp could technically   
   fall within the legal definition of "hostile activity" simply because their   
   technology "make[s] it more difficult for UK security and intelligence   
   agencies to monitor communications."    
      
   He writes: "It is a reasonable assumption that this would be in the interests   
   of a foreign state even if though the foreign state has never contemplated   
   this potential advantage."    
      
   The report also notes that journalists "carrying confidential information" or   
   material "personally embarrassing to the Prime Minister on the eve of   
   important treaty negotiations" could face similar scrutiny.    
      
   While it remains to be seen how this report will influence future amendments,   
   it comes at a time of increasing pressure from lawmakers against encryption.   
      
   Encryption under siege   
      
   While the reports strong wording may come as a shock, it doesn't exist in a   
   vacuum. Encrypted apps are increasingly in the crosshairs of UK lawmakers,   
   with several pieces of legislation targeting the technology.    
      
   Most notably, Apple was served with a technical capability notice under the   
   Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) demanding it weaken the encryption protecting   
   iCloud data. That legal standoff led the tech giant to disable its Advanced   
   Data Protection instead of creating a backdoor .    
      
   The Online Safety Act is already well known for its controversial age   
   verification requirements. However, its most contentious provisions have yet   
   to be fully implemented, and experts fear these could undermine encryption   
   even further.    
      
   On Monday, Parliament debated the Act following a petition calling for its   
   repeal. Instead of rolling back the law, however, MPs pushed for stricter   
   enforcement . During the discussion, lawmakers specifically called for a   
   review of other encrypted tools, like the best VPNs .    
      
   The potential risks of the Act's tougher stance on encryption were only   
   briefly mentioned during the discussion, suggesting a stark disconnect    
   between MPs and security experts.    
      
   Olivier Crpin-Leblond, of the Internet Society, told TechRadar he was   
   disappointed by the outcome of the debate. "When it came to Client Side   
   Scanning (CSS), most felt this could be one of the 'easy technological fixes'   
   that could help law enforcement greatly, especially when they showed their   
   frustration at Facebook rolling end-to-end encryption," he said.    
      
   "It's clearly not understood that any such software could fall prey to   
   hackers."    
      
   It is clear that for many lawmakers, encryption is viewed primarily as an   
   obstacle to law enforcement. This stands in sharp contrast to the view of   
   digital rights experts, who stress that the technology is vital for    
   protecting privacy and security in an online landscape where cyberattacks are   
   rising.    
      
   "The government signposts end-to-end encryption as a threat, but what they   
   fail to consider is that breaking it would be a threat to our national   
   security too," Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship, told TechRadar.    
      
   She also added that this ignores encryption's vital role for dissidents,   
   journalists, and domestic abuse victims, "not to mention the general   
   population who should be afforded basic privacy."    
      
   With the battle lines drawn, we can expect a challenging year ahead for   
   services like Signal and WhatsApp. Both companies have previously pledged to   
   leave the UK market rather than compromise their users' privacy and security.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/creating-apps-like-signal-o   
   r-whatsapp-could-be-hostile-activity-claims-uk-watchdog   
      
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