- Internet safety advocates have opposed Nevada’s attempt to relax online protections for children.
- Coalition, including organizations like EFF and ACLU, contests Nevada’s bid to prevent Meta from implementing E2EE as default in Facebook Messenger for children.
- Advocates stress the importance of encryption in protecting digital security, highlighting existing E2EE defaults in messaging apps like WhatsApp and iMessage, and urge the court to prioritize children’s safety.
US state Nevada’s push to relax online protections for children has sparked opposition from internet safety advocates. Led by Meta‘s Internet Technology Director, Dan York, a coalition of organisations is contesting Nevada’s bid to prevent Meta from implementing end-to-end encryption (E2EE) as the default for children’s communications on Facebook Messenger. They argue that such a move would expose children to potential risks from predators, criminal organisations, and foreign entities.
The coalition, which includes the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and encryption advocate Riana Pfefferkorn, submitted an amicus curiae brief to the District Court in Clark County, Nevada. This brief highlights the detrimental impact that granting Nevada’s request would have on children’s online safety. It emphasizes the vital role encryption plays in protecting everyone’s digital security and stresses the impossibility of limiting message access solely to law enforcement without compromising overall security.
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E2EE as universal encryption default in leading messaging Apps
Furthermore, the coalition points out that other messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp and Apple’s iMessage, already default to E2EE, demonstrating the feasibility and importance of strong encryption standards. They argue that weakening these protections would undermine the fundamental right to privacy and expose children to significant risks online.
The District Court has held a hearing on March 20th to consider Nevada’s injunction request. The coalition urges the court to prioritize children’s safety by allowing Meta to maintain E2EE as the default for all users, including children. By doing so, they aim to ensure that children’s communications remain secure from interception and exploitation by malicious actors.
