Open Rights Group and leading security and technology experts have accused Home Secretary Priti Patel of misleading the public with a “scaremongering” campaign against end-to-end encryption.
Patel’s TV, radio and newspaper advertising campaign, created by M&C Saatchi accuses social media companies that use encryption of “blindfolding” the government.
Jim Killock, Executive Director from Open Rights Group believes the scaremongering campaign by M&C Saatchi is being used to soften up public opinion prior to amendments to the Online Safety Bill that would allow the government to install backdoors into end to end encrypted messaging apps, and condemns the UK Home Office for exploiting emotive narratives to manipulate the public.
Killock said: “This crass campaign shows how desperate the government is to scare people into supporting the ill-conceived Online Harms Bill. If the government weakens encryption, it will only help predators, criminals, blackmailers, and scammers. The Online Safety Bill is not designed to prosecute criminals, but to delete egregious materials online. Their campaign is a shameful distraction tactic and wholly misleading.”
The Internet Society’s Director of Internet Trust, Robin Wilton told Rolling Stone magazine: “The Home Office’s scaremongering campaign is as disingenuous as it is dangerous. Without strong encryption, children are more vulnerable online than ever. Encryption protects personal safety and national security. What the government is proposing puts everyone at risk.”
Open Rights Group – in partnership with One Minute Briefs – launched a creative challenge to harness the power of hundreds of independent creatives to produce multiple creative assets to rebut the M&C Saatchi campaign. The creative will be used in a paid social media campaign led by civil society that will reach millions of UK citizens starting tomorrow.
