EXCLUSIVE: Home Office Quietly Drops ‘Silly’ Proposals to ban Encryption Devices

The Home Office has quietly dropped plans to ban the possession of ’sophisticated encryption devices’ despite having the support of the National Crime Agency.
EXCLUSIVE: Home Office Quietly Drops ‘Silly’ Proposals to ban Encryption Devices
An encryption message is seen on the WhatsApp application on an iPhone in Manchester, England on March 27, 2017. Reuters/Phil Noble
Chris Summers
Updated:
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The Home Office has quietly dropped widely heralded plans to ban “sophisticated encryption devices” following a consultation which resulted in significant pushback from the business community and those in the cyber security industry.

Encryption devices are phones or tablets built with, or have software uploaded, which ensures that messages sent or received by them cannot be decoded by anyone but the user.

Chris Summers
Chris Summers
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Chris Summers is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories, with a particular interest in crime, policing and the law.
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