Mastodawn

CaptainMalu 2d ago

Our statement on the UK government’s demand that all content on all devices sold or used in the country be scanned, on the presumption of nudity, using a dystopian combination of age verification and content scanning. This proposal will not safeguard children. It endangers us all.

https://signal.org/blog/pdfs/2026-06-08-uk-surveillance-is-not-safety.pdf

Mychal Shade 2d ago

@signalapp What happens when they find legal nudity? Is it noted somewhere for tracking (and monitoring)?

Misuse Case 2d ago

@mychalshade @signalapp The historical record suggests that the algorithms they use for scanning don’t distinguish between legal and illegal nudity and that nobody will check before they cut off the presumed offender’s internet access and maybe sic the cops on them.

Regendans 2d ago

@MisuseCase @mychalshade @signalapp Or blocked forever. A story from 2022. https://nextcloud.com/blog/nyt-reports-google-offers-no-recourse-for-mistakenly-blocked-accounts-even-in-egregious-cases/

MeaningfulBits 2d ago

@mychalshade @signalapp goes into the blackmail folder.

David Ginn 2d ago

@signalapp They’re giving in to populism, and the government isn’t listening to the experts. The police in the UK is already untrustworthy. What happens when they start arresting people for false positives?

Misuse Case 2d ago

@david @signalapp It’s gonna be like the Horizon scandal all over again where they maliciously prosecute innocent people to cover it up.

@david @signalapp I think that's kinda the point, plausible deniability for when they arrest people they don't like

Eggs now in different baskets.2d ago

@david @signalapp Start arresting people for false positives?

The police in the UK have been doing that for a very long time.

As one example.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sus_law

Sus law - Wikipedia

David Ginn 2d ago

@the_wub @signalapp I agree, it’s just a new way to further harass citizens. The police don’t need more power, they need to be held accountable for abusing their power.

廃墟猫 🐈🌈🐈‍⬛🐈🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛2d ago

@david @signalapp the police are untrustworthy was all you needed to say.

I don't trust police in my home country of the UK, here in Japan, anywhere.

My number 1 choice is not to interact with them at all.

David Ginn 2d ago

@Haikyoneko @signalapp You won't get any argument from me.

廃墟猫 🐈🌈🐈‍⬛🐈🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛2d ago

@david @signalapp certainly giving cops extra power to spy on us can't go wrong in any way.

Funny how the US, Canada, the UK suddenly want to build surveillance networks to keep the citizens "safe"

Jason Bowen 🇺🇦1d ago

@david @signalapp
s/K/S/

Alex Chapman 2d ago

@signalapp And if they end up mandating that, orgs like you guys should start a rebellian against it, rather than pulling the service away for UK users.

@alexchapman
> if they [UK govt] end up mandating [on-device scanning], orgs like you guys should start a rebellion against it

This will be an acid test for @signalapp, Wire, ChatMail apps like @delta, @matrix apps, and @xmpp apps like @snikket_im. As well as app distributors like @fdroidorg and @IzzyOnDroid.

*Especially* those headquartered in the UK, and subject to easy enforcement if they protect the people using their software/ service, instead of surveilling us on behalf of the UK govt.

⥫ Lee ⥭2d ago

@signalapp Propose a solution then. The current situation is untenable, and action is needed. Governments rely on experts to help shape policy. Given your expertise, pick up the phone and start advising.

Winterstar 2d ago

@leewalton @signalapp The solution is already known since the beginning of times: Classical police investigation, get into the circles, investigate, and collect real evidence, follow the money.

Mychal Shade 2d ago

@leewalton My solution is for parents/guardians to do what they signed up to do when they had a child, independently provide them boundaries and rules to protect and educate them.

jnr in life 2d ago

@mychalshade @leewalton I don't think this is said enough.. As a parent, I support this thinking and approach. Too many people blame either the police, government or anyone else but themselves.

Educating children, gaining their trust and setting boundaries works

@mychalshade @leewalton
Exactly! Families - broadly speaking - must educate, keep track of and be responsible for their kids.
These governments initiatives are just excuses for controlling the populace.

Paul Lockett 1d ago

@leewalton @signalapp You'll find no shortage of people with expertise explaining to the government the stupidity of their proposals. It isn't that politicians aren't being given the advice, they just aren't interested in it.

Lillian Violet 1d ago

@leewalton How to prevent child abuse? The experts are pretty clear about that. Children's rights, increased child autonomy, giving children more places to be and people they can rely and be safe with that isn't direct family (where most abuse happens). All of these measures to create authoritarian control from distrust doesn't make anyone safer, it just creates more leeway for the powerful (police) to abuse their power against the people.

Bjarne Oldrup 2d ago

@signalapp No more bombs ✊

Boobs! I meant boobs of course.

The dangerous stuff.

official_verified

dieTasse 2d ago

@signalapp If the govt just looked at how many data breaches is there every day, maybe they would realize that they want to open a huge hole for hackers to exploit. And they think that the perverts will use these apps instead of some other non-compliant (even illegal) apps... I mean they already do illegal stuff so... I don't know how much IQ is currently ruling the very united kingdom... maybe more than the very united states but still... might be closer than we though...

Passenger 2d ago

@dieTasse @signalapp

The government has decreed that there will be no breaches of this data, and no misuse of the powers, so we shouldn't worry, right?

Honestly, the more I see of the way they make decisions, the less surprised I am that they love LLMs.

🔶Mark Nicoll 3.5%🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧🇪🇺🇺🇳1d ago

@passenger @dieTasse @signalapp
they probably came up with this "solution" by asking an llm.

dieTasse 1d ago

@duckwhistle you are absolutely right...! 😂

dieTasse 1d ago

@passenger Yeah, sure!
And the LLM will make them even more stupid...

Kierkethumbs up convincingly 2d ago

@signalapp Den som själv har nåt att dölja ropar på förstärkt polis (Bängen trålar, Nationalteatern)

Kinene⭐🐻2d ago

@signalapp Uh, any museum painting collection?

DekOfTheYautja 2d ago

@signalapp Doesn't endanger the government!

🍁voilà-DCKIM🍁2d ago

@signalapp why is everything gone so 'end-of-days' with each and every issue?

Religiously it's accurate to say the end is near but, I don't think that we know that it's because of 'A,B,C,...'

@dckim @signalapp Call it a culture of distrust formed by people who seem to be in a death cult and demanding we die with them.

Steven Horner 2d ago

@signalapp I saw this reported on Sky news today and you can understand why the average person agrees with it because there was no reporting on why this could a bad thing. How the purpose would likely be expanded and people will just get around it anyway.

The UK government wanted to put back doors into apps like Whatsapp and other chat apps. A back door is a security hole that others will exploit and the UK government don't have a good track record with tech rollouts 🤔

Kierkethumbs up convincingly 2d ago

@signalapp Make sure the UK government can’t access Signal if they push it