WhatsApp, Snapchat, iMessage could face ban in UK within weeks.

WhatsApp could soon be banned in the UK, owing to the strict laws on social media and online messaging services.

According to Express.co.uk, UK Prime Minister David Cameron is now looking at new legislation that plans ‘to stop people from sending any form of encrypted messages’.


Today, there are popular messaging services in the UK namely, WhatsApp, iMessage and Snapchat. If the new legislation is passed then all these services could be banned in the UK in the coming weeks.

He reportedly said, “In our country, do we want to allow a means of communication between people which we cannot read? My answer to that question is: ‘No, we must not’.”

With the new Investigatory Powers Bill, Internet service providers, Internet companies like Facebook, Google and others, will need to keep a record of your activity. The new bill, the pace of which has been accelerated due to recent concerns over terrorist attacks, could be passed by Autumn.

Though the complete details of the bill are still undisclosed, it means that the government will now get to spy on users irrespective of whether they are crime suspects or not. Sounds creepy, doesn’t it?

If you run a Google search for the term “WhatsApp ban”, you will find a trail of queries about people asking why they’ve been banned on WhatsApp and how they can be "unbanned". But what if WhatsApp is banned altogether leaving users with no access to arguably the most popular messaging service.

As I mentioned above that WhatsApp could soon be banned in the UK, owing to the strict laws on social media and online messaging services. according to a new legislation to be passed by Prime Minister David Cameron people won’t be allowed to send any encrypted messages. This move is to tackle the recent terrorist attacks and the recent shooting of 27 Britons in Tunisia has now accelerated the process.

In short it means all your Google searches, conversations etc. will be accessible to the government and police at any given time. Currently, British police have to make a request in order to access a user’s texts, calls and other Internet usage if required.

The extent of power that will be bestowed upon the Investigatory Powers Bill is still unclear. However, whatever little I know seem to be detrimental to user privacy. Not many of us want someone snooping over our private messages and content. This decision has already left several Britons fuming. Several have taken to Twitter to vent out anger and frustration.

Executive director of The Open Rights Group Jim Killock told Express.co.uk that, “The government is signalling that it wants to press ahead with increased powers of data collection and retention for the police and GCHQ – spying on everyone, whether suspected of a crime or not.”

Facebook-owned WhatsApp (acquired for $19 billion) is quite popular for more than more reason. It is more personal than Facebook, connects people immediately, doesn’t cost much and is totally ad-free.

Although this response by the UK Government has surprised many, it isn’t entirely new. In August 2011, the UK was a victim to rioting and soon the government began a crackdown on BlackBerry Messenger. In the day and age of free speech and privacy gaining momentum, one can’t help but wonder whether these are intended as a safety mechanism or a means to halt popular movements. In the true sense, it’s a case of the shooting the messenger!

Meanwhile, popular messaging service, WhastApp, has updated its Web app. WhatsApp for Web has now been updated to include mobile-like features giving users more control over chats and group conversations on the web.

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