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News > Science and Tech

'Five Eyes' Meeting May Push for More Powers to Spy on Encrypted Messages

  • An encryption message is seen on the WhatsApp application on an iPhone in Manchester , Britain March 27, 2017.

    An encryption message is seen on the WhatsApp application on an iPhone in Manchester , Britain March 27, 2017. | Photo: Reuters

Published 25 June 2017
Opinion

Australia will lead the charge at the five-nation meeting next week in Ottawa, Canada. 

A powerful five-nation spy body could push for greater spying on private messaging after Australia said on Sunday it will demand greater powers to tackle the use of encrypted messaging services at an upcoming meeting of ministers from the "Five Eyes" intelligence network.

Australia has made it clear it wants tech companies to do much more to give intelligence and law enforcement agencies access to encrypted communications.

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“I will raise the need to address ongoing challenges posed by terrorists and criminals using encryption,” Australian Attorney-General Senator Brandis said in a joint statement.

“These discussions will focus on the need to cooperate with service providers to ensure reasonable assistance is provided to law enforcement and security agencies.”

The Five Eyes, often abbreviated as FVEY, is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States which dates back to the post-World War II period. The group, whose existence was first revealed to the public in the late 1990's, developed surveillance systems to monitor the communications of former socialist countries in Eastern Europe, but now use the technology to monitor private communications.

The group will meet in the Canadian city of Ottawa next week, where they will discuss tactics to combat terrorism and border protection, two senior Australian ministers added.

Tech firms such as Apple and Facebook, which owns encrypted messaging service WhatsApp, have been criticized in the United Kingdom and United States for not doing enough to crackdown on so-called dark spaces where extremists can communicate.

Industry involvement in thwarting the encryption of terrorist messaging will be a priority for Australia at the gathering, Senator Brandis said.

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