Braverman urges Meta not to ‘go dark’ on detecting child abuse with encryption

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The Home Secretary has urged Meta not to “go dark” on detecting online child abuse by rolling out end-to-end encryption on its platforms without robust safety measures in place. They must develop appropriate safeguards to sit alongside their plans for end-to-end encryption.” Security Minister, Tom Tugendhat said: “Our law enforcement agencies are working day and night to crack down on child sexual abusers. Speaking afterwards, she said: “We’re facing a national and international crisis actually, whereby the scourge of online child sexual abuse is at prolific levels, where paedophiles are operating on groups hosted by Facebook or Instagram and they are abusing children.” She added: “I’m… calling on the tech companies, in particular Facebook, to embrace the technology so that we put child safety first and foremost.” Meta already restricts people aged over 19 from messaging teenagers who do not follow them and has said it expects to continue providing “more reports to law enforcement than our peers”. “As we roll out end-to-end encryption, we expect to continue providing more reports to law enforcement than our peers due to our industry leading work on keeping people safe.” Labour’s shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Endless delays to the Online Safety Bill due to internal Tory chaos and conflict have left more children at risk of harm online – implementing that legislation must be an absolute priority and child safety must always be paramount.