Yesterday, there was a lot of kerfuffle about the possibility that UK Prime Minister David Cameron could push for a ban on apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat if he wins this year’s general election.
The ban would apparently be resulting from new surveillance plans proposed in the wake of the tragic terror attacks in France.
Cameron spoke to The Independent in Paris and said: “In our country, do we want to allow a means of communication between people which … we cannot read?”
“Do we want to allow a means of communication between people which … we cannot read?”
So it seems more like a ban on secure messaging apps in general, including WhatsApp, which recently launched encryption for its users.
Cameron wants to stop the use of communications methods that cannot be read by the security services even with a warrant. In other words, apps like Threema and the newly-launched Strings could be viewed as public enemy number one.
It awaits to be seen if such a ban is ever implemented, but we really must ask ourselves if we want to give up our own security and privacy to let the few ruin it for the many as they have time and time again throughout history.
What do you think? Should the governments of the world have a say in what communications tools we’re allowed to use?