Privacy concerns could have Whatsapp off UK phones soon

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Millions to lose access to WhatsApp

The popular messaging platform is removing support for many older smartphone models from Monday (November 1), meaning millions will either have to upgrade or do without the widely-used messaging platform

The devices on the list include 43 smartphone models with both Android and iOS affected

Users will lose the ability to send messages and photos, or make video calls to family and friends, using the encrypted messaging service.

Smartphone models with Android 4.0.4 or earlier installed will become incompatible with WhatsApp, as well as iPhones with iOS 9 or earlier installed.

The full list of phones that will lose access to WhatsApp

iPhone

iPhone SE

iPhone 6S

iPhone 6S Plus

Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Trend Lite

Galaxy Trend II

Galaxy SII

Galaxy S3 mini

Galaxy Xcover 2

Galaxy Core

Galaxy Ace 2

LG

Lucid 2

LG Optimus F7

LG Optimus F5

Optimus L3 II Dual

Optimus F5

Optimus L5

Optimus L5 II

Optimus L5 Dual

Optimus L3 II

Optimus L7

Optimus L7 II Dual

Optimus L7 II

Optimus F6, Enact

Optimus L4 II Dual

Optimus F3

Optimus L4 II

Optimus L2 II

Optimus Nitro HD and 4X HD

Optimus F3Q

Huawei

Ascend G740

Ascend Mate

Ascend D Quad XL

Ascend D1 Quad XL

Ascend P1 S

Ascend D2

Sony

Xperia Miro

Sony Xperia Neo L

Xperia Arc S

ZTE

ZTE Grand S Flex

ZTE V956

Grand X Quad V987

ZTE Grand Memo

Others

The Alcatel One Touch Evo 7

Archos 53 Platinum

HTC Desire 500

Caterpillar Cat B15

Wiko Cink Five

Wiko Darknight

Lenovo A820

UMi X2

Faea F1

THL W8

What should I do if I have one of these devices?

Unfortunately, there is no way to get around the change, meaning that the only real option to keep access to WhatsApp would be to upgrade your device.

However, there is a way of storing your chat history if you do decide to upgrade.

Via the WhatsApp app, you can back up your message history to either iCloud or Google Drive, depending whether you are on iPhone or Android.

You can also export your chat history and transcripts that you can email to yourself.

If your phone is not on the list, but your device is not on the latest iOS or Android software version, you should consider upgrading to avoid issues with WhatsApp.

For any backups and updates, it is recommended to be connected to wifi as the data charges could be costly.

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WhatsApp has lost a lot of users over the last year due to ongoing privacy concerns around its new terms of service.

WhatsApp has traditionally marketed itself on offering secure, encrypted messaging, but announced wildly unpopular changes to the way it handles user data.

These changes would have seen user data handed to private companies to aid in marketing.

WhatsApp U-turned drastically on the plans following a major backlash which has seen competitors Telegram surpass one billion downloads.

These changes would have seen user data handed to private companies to aid in marketing. WhatsApp U-turned drastically on the plans following a major backlash which has seen competitors Telegram surpass one billion downloads.

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/uk-w ... le-6136849

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Whatsapp off UK phones soon

Ministers have been told that the UK government risks sleepwalking into a conflict with WhatsApp that may result in the messaging software vanishing from the country

UK Ministers have been told that the government risks sleepwalking into a conflict with WhatsApp that may result in the messaging software vanishing from the country, with options for a peaceful resolution quickly running out.

The internet safety bill, a massive piece of legislation that will affect practically every element of online life in the UK, is at the heart of the debate. The measure, which is currently being debated in the House of Lords, has taken more than four years to develop and has included eight secretaries of state and five prime ministers.

The law empowers Britain's Ofcom to impose obligations on social networks to utilize technology to combat terrorism or child sexual abuse content, with fines of up to 10% of worldwide revenue for non-compliance. To comply with the notice, businesses must utilize their "best endeavors" to build or source technology.
Impossible without breaching privacy

However, for messaging applications that utilize "end-to-end encryption" (E2EE) to safeguard their user data, it is technologically impossible to read user conversations without fundamentally breaching their commitments to consumers; companies claims it is a move they will not take.

“The bill provides no explicit protection for encryption,” according to a coalition of providers, including the market leaders WhatsApp and Signal, in an open letter last month, “and if implemented as written, could empower Ofcom to try to force the proactive scanning of private messages on end-to-end encrypted communication services, nullifying the purpose of end-to-end encryption as a result and compromising the privacy of all users.”

They claim that if forced to pick, they would choose to preserve the security of their non-UK users.

“Ninety-eight percent of our users are outside the UK,” chief of Whatsapp Will Cathcart, told the Guardian in March.

"They do not want us to lower the security of the product, and just as a straightforward matter, it would be an odd choice for us to choose to lower the security of the product in a way that would affect those 98% of users.”

Legislators have urged the administration to address the issues.

“These services, such as WhatsApp, will potentially leave the UK,” Claire Fox told the House of Lords last week. “This is not like threatening to storm off. It is not done in any kind of pique in that way. In putting enormous pressure on these platforms to scan communications, we must remember that they are global platforms.

“They have a system that works for billions of people all around the world. A relatively small market such as the UK is not something for which they would compromise their billions of users around the world.”

Intentional ambiguity

A Home Office spokesperson stated, “We support strong encryption, but this cannot come at cost of public safety. Tech companies have a moral duty to ensure they are not blinding themselves and law enforcement to the unprecedented levels of child sexual abuse on their platforms," adding that the bill does not ban encryption nor will it require services to weaken them.

The government's approach, according to Richard Allan, the Liberal Democrat peer who served as Meta's director of strategy for a decade until 2019, was one of "intentional ambiguity."

“They are careful to say that they have no intention of banning end-to-end encryption … but at the same time refuse to confirm that they could not do so under the new powers in the bill. This creates a high-stakes game of chicken, where the government think companies will give them more if they hold the threat of drastic technical orders over them. The government’s hope is that companies will blink first in the game of chicken and give them what they want.”

https://english.almayadeen.net/news/tec ... hones-soon