Why the Government Shouldn't Break WhatsApp Encryption

Encryption backdoors - breaking WhatsApp and iMessage's security to let the government stop Bad Things - sounds like a reasonable idea. Here's why it isn't.


CREDITS:
Filmed at the Cambridge Centre for Computing History: http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/
Camera by Tomek: https://www.youtube.com/tomek
Thanks to everyone who helped proofread my script!


REFERENCES:

WhatsApp's privacy protections questioned after terror attack: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-39405178

WhatsApp must be accessible to authorities, says Amber Rudd: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/mar/26/intelligence-services-access-whatsapp-amber-rudd-westminster-attack-encrypted-messaging

UK government renews calls for WhatsApp backdoor after London attack: https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/27/15070744/encryption-whatsapp-backdoor-uk-london-attacks

Investigatory Powers Act: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2016/25/contents/enacted

India is 'ready to use' Blackberry message intercept system: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23265091

Revealed: how US and UK spy agencies defeat internet privacy and security: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/05/nsa-gchq-encryption-codes-security

Councils secretly spied on people walking dogs and feeding birds for five years: http://metro.co.uk/2016/12/26/councils-secretly-spied-on-people-walking-dogs-and-feeding-birds-for-five-years-6345051/
[This is basically a rephrase of https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/25/british-councils-used-investigatory-powers-ripa-to-secretly-spy-on-public with a better headline]

Poole council spies on family over school claim: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1584713/Poole-council-spies-on-family-over-school-claim.html

Security services missed five opportunities to stop the Manchester bomber: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/24/security-services-missed-five-opportunities-stop-manchester/

Reuters reference to "500 active investigations": http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-security-manchester-plots-idUSKBN18L1H0

AP: Across US, police officers abuse confidential databases: https://apnews.com/general-news-699236946e3140659fff8a2362e16f43


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