The UK’s Online Safety Act has become one of the most fiercely debated pieces of digital legislation in years. While the government frames it as a way to protect children and tackle illegal content, critics warn it could undermine end-to-end encryption and open the door to mass surveillance.
Messaging platforms including WhatsApp, Signal, and Element have issued stark warnings that the Act could force them to scan private messages or weaken encryption — something they say they will never do. In an interview with the Evening Standard, Signal’s president described the bill as a potential gateway to “mass surveillance of every private online message” ( source).
What the Online Safety Act actually requires
The Act places new duties on tech companies to detect and remove illegal content, including child abuse material. The most controversial element is Section 122, which allows Ofcom to require platforms to implement “accredited technology” to scan private messages for harmful content.
According to reporting from TechRadar, this could include client-side scanning — analysing messages on a user’s device before they are encrypted ( source).
The government has delayed enforcing this requirement until it is “technically feasible,” but the power remains in the law.
Why WhatsApp, Signal and others are pushing back
Encrypted messaging apps argue that any form of scanning — whether on the device or in the cloud — fundamentally breaks the promise of end-to-end encryption. Their concerns include:
- Backdoors weaken security — if the government can access messages, so can hackers.
- It creates a global precedent — other countries may demand the same access.
- It undermines user trust — millions rely on encrypted apps for safety, privacy, and activism.
- It may force companies to leave the UK — WhatsApp and Signal have both said they would refuse to comply.
As Womble Bond Dickinson explains, the only way to access encrypted messages is to compromise the encryption itself — something experts warn would create “greater security and privacy risks” for everyone ( source).
Age verification and privacy concerns
The Act also introduces strict age verification requirements for accessing certain online content. While intended to protect children, critics argue that age checks could require users to hand over sensitive personal information to third-party verification companies.
Combined with potential message scanning, privacy advocates warn this could create a system where:
- More personal data is collected than ever before
- Users must prove their identity to access everyday services
- Metadata about online behaviour becomes centralised
Government position: “We’re not breaking encryption”
The government insists the Act does not require breaking encryption and that any scanning technology must be “safe, privacy-preserving, and technically feasible.” However, experts argue that such technology does not currently exist.
This gap between political ambition and technical reality is exactly why the controversy continues.
Why this matters for the future of digital privacy
The Online Safety Act is part of a wider global debate about how to balance:
- Child protection
- National security
- Personal privacy
- Secure communication
If the UK forces encrypted apps to weaken their security, it could reshape the entire digital landscape — not just in Britain, but worldwide. Messaging apps warn that once a backdoor exists, it cannot be limited to “good actors.”
In short
The Online Safety Act aims to make the internet safer, but its approach to encryption has triggered a fierce backlash from privacy experts, tech companies, and civil liberties groups. Whether the UK will ultimately enforce message scanning remains uncertain — but the debate has already changed how people think about digital privacy, government power, and the future of secure communication.
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