London, 4th July 2023 – The ongoing debate surrounding the Online Safety Bill (OSB) in the House of Lords has sparked concerns among the UK public. According to a recent study conducted by Opinium for Element, a staggering 70% of the population believes that scanning private online messages will not effectively prevent criminal activity. Furthermore, 44% of respondents expressed fears that such measures could potentially compromise national security by providing a centralized target for state-sponsored hackers.
The views of the UK public appear to diverge significantly from the government’s stance on this issue. Contrary to assurances given by officials, a resounding 83% of citizens believe that personal conversations conducted on messaging apps, such as Element, WhatsApp, or Signal, should be afforded the highest level of security and privacy. This sentiment contradicts the provisions laid out in the Online Safety Bill, which mandates communication providers to breach the trust of their consumers by scanning every single conversation in search of any potential criminal activity.
Key findings from the survey highlight the public’s skepticism towards the proposed legislation. A considerable 70% of respondents argued that if the OSB mandates the scanning of all online messages, criminals will simply migrate to alternative platforms to continue their illegal activities. Additionally, 44% of the population expressed concerns about heightened vulnerability to cyberattacks from nation-states like Russia and China as a consequence of such measures. Moreover, 43% of those surveyed opined that ordinary UK citizens would find themselves more susceptible to cyberattacks perpetrated by criminals.
Matthew Hodgson, CEO of Element, stresses the fallacy of relying solely on technology as a panacea for criminal behavior: “Technology is not responsible for criminal behavior, and it should never be touted as a catch-all solution, as the OSB currently does. If the UK won’t listen to security experts, perhaps it will now listen to its citizens who know very well that surveilling our online conversations will only push criminals to other platforms, while reducing security for law-abiding individuals.”
Hodgson further emphasizes the implications of this legislation on privacy and security: “This research shows UK citizens are well aware that their privacy, as well as that of our businesses and even our government, will suffer if this poorly thought-out legislation comes to pass. Criminals and rogue nations will rejoice. We need to stop this Bill.”
The study also sheds light on the importance placed by UK consumers on maintaining their privacy and security during online conversations. In fact, 44% of the British public believe that all citizens should have access to the best private and secure communication tools available, not exclusively reserved for the government (27%). However, this figure drops significantly to a mere 7% when considering businesses.
The proposed provisions in the Online Safety Bill have also raised concerns regarding the potential erosion of UK privacy standards. The legislation allows Ofcom to require the implementation of unspecified third-party tools capable of covertly scanning private messaging systems, such as Element, WhatsApp, and Signal. Interestingly, the survey revealed that people perceive China, North Korea, and Russia as countries most likely to engage in routine surveillance of private messages, with only 12% expecting the same level of scrutiny from the UK. This stands in stark contrast to the intentions outlined in the Bill.
Hodgson warns of the potential consequences of the Online Safety Bill: “If the Online Safety Bill goes through, every online conversation could end up being surveilled, placing us on the same stage as other governments known to monitor their citizens’ conversations – China, Russia, and North Korea. Meanwhile, Brits will lose their strongest cyber defense, giving criminals the upper hand; criminals who will not be using regulated apps known to comply with Ofcom’s requirements.”
The survey clearly indicates a significant discord between the UK public and the government regarding the scanning of private online messages. The concerns raised by citizens highlight the potential negative implications for both security and privacy if the proposed legislation is enacted. As the debate in the House of Lords continues, it remains to be seen how these concerns will influence the outcome of the Online Safety Bill.