The world's biggest tech firms, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Apple are criticizing a proposed British bill which aims at expanding the government's electronic surveillance power. The proposal would give national-security officials and law-enforcement more authority to monitor communications.
Tim Cook who is Apple's CEO speaks out against the United Kingdom's Investigatory Powers Bill that would require all technological companies to give the government access to personal encrypted data such as phone calls and text chats. Tim Cook said that if the bill become a law, spies and including criminals would have their own access into our personal and private information and conversations. He said, "We believe it would be wrong to weaken security for hundreds of millions of law-abiding customers so that it will also be weaker for the very few who pose a threat... In this rapidly evolving cyber-threat environment, companies should remain free to implement strong encryption to protect customers."
According also to Mac Observer, U.K Prime Minister David Cameron is also pushing the bill to become law. The prime minister said that it will prevent "terrorists, criminals, and child abductors" from being able to communicate without detection. Also, House of Commons Secretary Theresa May disagrees with the Apple's CEO. Saying it will not have a negative impact on privacy and that it "will not ban encryption or do anything to undermine the security of people's data."
Tech companies also said that the Investigatory Powers Bill would enticed the U.S government to provide authorities with special access into otherwise secure communications - which violates the privacy for all citizens.
President Barack Obama has already stated that law-enforcement and technology companies should work hand in hand in exterminating criminality and terrorism. The president also said that they need to balance privacy and security concerns when it comes to counter-terrorism efforts and encryption. However, the US government has stopped short of offering specific proposals regarding accessing an individual's phone or gadget.
The British bill hasn't become a law yet, but it is clear that there's some serious tech companies and end users who does not want the government accessing their personal account.
