UK prime minister suggests banning encrypted apps like WhatsApp, iMessage

The U.K. may ban online messaging services that offer encryption such as WhatsApp and Apple’s iMessage, under surveillance plans laid out by Prime Minister David Cameron.

Services that allow people to communicate without providing access to their messages pose a serious challenge to law enforcement efforts to combat terrorism and other crimes, Cameron said Monday.

He didn’t name specific apps, but suggested those with encryption would not jive with new surveillance legislation he’s looking to enact if he gets reelected this year. Such apps include WhatsApp, iMessage, Google Hangouts, Microsoft’s Skype, CryptoCat, and more.

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