The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has expressed alarm over global concerns on the decision of some social media platforms to implement end-to-end encryption (E2EE) which could hamper the identification of sexual offenders online, particularly against children.
The NBI and its fellow members of the Virtual Global Taskforce (VGT) – an international alliance of law enforcement agencies working together to tackle the global threat from child sexual abuse -- issued a joint statement “highlighting the devastating impact End-to-End Encryption (E2EE).”
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the premier standards development organization (SDO) for the internet, defined E2EE in its website as “an application of cryptography in communications systems between endpoints.”
On the other hand, the Integrated Business Machines (IBM) explained in its website “E2EE prevents unintended users, including third parties, from reading or modifying data when only the intended readers should have this access and ability.”
In a statement, the NBI said that “VGT urges industry partners to recognize their responsibility in protecting children on their platforms and to only implement major platform design choices alongside robust safety systems that safeguard children from online sexual abuse.”
The NBI echoed VGT’s concerns that while “there is no doubt encryption plays an important role in safeguarding privacy, however this must be balanced with the importance of safeguarding children online.”
Thus, it said that VGT urged the industry “to implement only platform design choices, including E2EE, at scale alongside robust safety systems that maintain or increase child safety.”
“Where the child user base and risk is high, a proportionate investment and implementation of technically feasible safety solutions is paramount. The abuse will not stop just because companies decide to stop looking,” it pointed out.
It said that VGT had issued a statement in response to the announcement made by META Platforms, Inc. – the firm that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, among other products and services -- that it will be implementing E2EE.
“META is currently the leading reporter of detected child sexual abuse to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC),” VGT cited.
“The VGT has not yet seen any indication from META that any new safety systems implemented post-E2EE will effectively match or improve their current detection methods,” the NBI lamented.
It pointed out that the VGT has warned that the scale of child sexual abuse (CSA) is “increasing worldwide.”
“The number of reports of CSA from industry continue to be staggering, but demonstrates the key role that industry plays both in protecting children online and in reporting cases to law enforcement for action,” it stated.
VGT is chaired by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
Aside from the NCA and the NBI, it’s members include the International Criminal Police Organization, Philippine National Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Immigration and Customs (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, Dutch National Police, European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, Korean National Agency, Ministry of Interior for the United Arab Emirates, Kenya National Police Service, New Zealand Police, Australian Federal Police, Colombian National Police, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.