Online Safety Bill: encrypted messages to be saved – for now

The controversial “spy clause” of the UK’s Online Safety Bill has been postponed by the government amid widespread criticism and threats from messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal to leave the UK. The clause would have required tech companies to scan private messages for harmful content, a move seen as an invasion of privacy. Critics also expressed concern about age verification requirements and potential national data breaches. The timeline of the clause’s reimplementation remains unclear; it will be revisited when it is “technically feasible.”