Signal Messenger Threatens Exit from France Over Drug Trade Law

The messaging application Signal has indicated that it may withdraw its services from France if a proposed drug trade legislation is enacted. This law would grant authorities access to encrypted communications, a move that has sparked significant backlash from various sectors.

The contentious Article 8 of the proposed law, aimed at intensifying the fight against drug trafficking, mandates that encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Signal, along with encrypted email services like Proton Mail, must provide user data in an unencrypted format within 72 hours of a request from French law enforcement.

This legislative proposal is currently under discussion in the French National Assembly. Similar attempts to regulate encrypted communications have previously occurred in the UK, where the government sought to limit encryption through the 'Online Safety Bill' designed to combat online child exploitation. In that instance, public resistance led to the government making concessions, postponing any requirements for messaging apps to monitor communications.

Meredith Whittaker, the head of Signal, described the French legislation as an immature and dishonest attack on citizens' privacy. Signal, a non-profit organization based in the United States, is widely recognized for its strong encryption standards and is recommended for secure communication by various governmental bodies, including the European Commission.

Whittaker emphasized that the French law would force encrypted communication providers to create backdoors, enabling government access to private chats in the guise of combating drug trafficking. She asserted that true end-to-end encryption should only involve the sender and recipient, warning that any backdoor compromises the integrity of private communication.

Despite arguments from supporters of the legislation suggesting that encryption would remain intact, critics within the tech industry, including Matthew Hodgson, CEO of the Element messaging platform, argue that the proposal is technically unfeasible without severely undermining the security of messaging and email services.

The non-governmental organization La Quadrature du Net, which advocates for digital rights in France, has expressed deep concern regarding the law. They argue that its provisions could extend beyond targeting drug traffickers and could potentially facilitate the surveillance of activists. The proposal includes a clause that classifies documents detailing surveillance methods as confidential, thereby obscuring how law enforcement can conduct such activities.

Furthermore, the law would empower police to remotely activate microphones and cameras on computers and smartphones, raising alarms about privacy violations and the potential for misuse.