India, Japan & 'Five Eyes' alliance demand backdoor access to encrypted apps

New Delhi: Along with the United States, The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the members of the Five Eyes Alliance, India and Japan also have demanded backdoor access from the companies from the technology sector to their apps that use ‘End-to-End Encrypted Communication’. This demand is to enable the investigating agencies to read the messages being passed on social media. Many crimes can be solved if these companies allow backdoor access to the apps that use ‘End-to-End Encrypted Communication’. It is claimed that this will remove the obstacles in the investigation of serious crimes that pose a threat to national security.

With ‘End-to-End Encrypted Communication’, only the sender and the receiver can read the message. No third person, even the app company, can read the message. This access is not given even to the investigation agencies. Cybercrimes increase with this. Terrorist organisations also misuse this system. Therefore, the members of the Five Eyes Alliance along with India and Japan, are making joint efforts to gain this access. It was recently reported that moves are being made to include Japan in the Five Eyes Alliance to stop China. Against this background, the coming together of the members of the Five Eyes Alliance with India and Japan on this security matter becomes important.

These countries want information regarding not only messaging but also device encryption and custom encrypted applications. Before this, the Five Eyes Alliance had made this demand even in 2018 and 2019. Now along with the group, India and Japan too, are demanding the same from the companies from the technology sector.

Privacy and cybersecurity have to have a priority. But as per these seven countries, this creates obstacles in the investigation of serious crimes, posing a threat to the national security and these countries have warned that therefore, these companies should find an amicable solution for this problem.