Denmark to Ban Encrypted Telegram, Signal Messengers

Recently, news broke that Denmark is set on the path to banning end to end encryption messenger software such as Telegram and Signal. In this blog, we’re exploring the reasons behind such a move.

Preface

Privacy-conscious readers of the BreachDirectory blog or those living in Northern Europe will be aware that a couple days ago, Denmark has announced its plans to shut down end to end encryption messenger software such as Telegram and Signal.

According to version2, the Justice Minister of Denmark, Pete Hummelgaard, wants end to end encryption messenger software such as WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram “to go where the pepper grows” and considers geoblocking as an option to curb their use in Denmark. However, not everyone is happy with the decision – according to our sources, the Danish Association of Journalists is concerned, and the move has sparked an outrage among professors of cyber security in the country, too.

End to End Encryption Messenger Software Explained

To put it simply, an end to end encryption messenger software provides users with a method to communicate across an encrypted channel, thus preventing third parties from accessing or intercepting data such as messages or phone calls as they’re being sent.

When people use end to end encryption messenger software, the data is usually encrypted on the device of the sender and can be decrypted only by the intended recipient, and thus, it cannot be read or tampered by anything in the middle, be it hackers, an ISP, or any other services.

Why is Denmark Concerned?

Swedish and Danish authorities are concerned over the use of end to end encryption messenger software due to their use by criminals. According to numerous sources, some government agencies including the government in Denmark see the usage of encryption messenger software such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal, as “hiding shelters” for criminals to better organize themselves and thus, Danish Minister of Justice Hummelgaard suggests blacklisting such software to curb their use by criminal groups. In this regard, the security community certainly has something to be wary of – as the recent arrest of Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov has shown, authorities in some countries may consider the CEOs of such software appliances as accomplices to crimes, too.

On the other hand, such a decision has sparked a discussion on Reddit and beyond – one user even commented something along the lines of “if governments want to ban end to end encryption software like Signal, the ministers proposing these changes should make their own messaging history public.”

It’s still early days, but some university professors have stated that they may see such a decision as a push to hold platforms responsible for illegal content or hold people that share illegal content on such platforms accountable for their actions.

End to End Encryption Messenger Ban: A Crackdown on Privacy?

Such a decision has, understandably, also sparked an outrage for some people. Some may argue that a ban on encrypted messengers like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal may be a crackdown on privacy.

Given that Russia and Venezuela have already blocked access to Signal that’s been endorsed by the US whistleblower Edward Snowden, it isn’t hard to see why Denmark’s decision is causing concern for officials, lawyers, and privacy-conscious individuals alike. However, it’s still early days and it’s early to say whether such a ban will come into effect anytime soon.

Combating Cybercrime – The Role of BreachDirectory

Aside from encrypting communications, privacy-conscious individuals have more options to make themselves safer on the web. One of those options is BreachDirectory – both the BreachDirectory API and its data breach search engine are good starting points for those who want to secure themselves on the web because:

1. The BreachDirectory API will help you implement the data within BreachDirectory into your own infrastructure allowing you to query data in the BreachDirectory data breach search engine whenever you desire through whatever medium you prefer to protect your customers and employees

The BreachDirectory data breach search engine will act as a good starting point for those who want to secure their own accounts on the web.

If you’re not already using BreachDirectory, start using the data breach search engine today – you won’t regret it.

Summary

Denmark is moving further to the ban of end to end encryption messenger software such as Telegram, WhatsApp, and Signal. While, for some, this is seen as a ban on those using these platforms for criminal purposes, for others, these steps are an invasion of privacy.