Petition · past parliament

Properly clarify status of encryption in The Investigatory Powers Bill

Closed 187 signatures

What the petition asks

The draft bill suggests that communications providers may have to remove "protection". The joint committee says the bill should make clear that this be only where technically practicable. This does not quite go far enough. We need a clear statement allowing CPs to offer secure communications.
The bill MUST make clear that CPs can offer secure communications which cannot be read or intercepted even with a warrant or with an intercept order or order to maintain an intercept capability.

Without this people (in UK and overseas) cannot trust CPs offering secure communications, and trust is essential in this industry.

Even as worded now, the bill allows criminals to communicate using own encryption, so that battle is lost. We need to allow non-criminals the same benefit using CP services

Timeline

14 Feb 2016 Petition opened for signatures
14 Aug 2016 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 187
Status Closed
Opened 14 Feb 2016
Closed 14 Aug 2016

Follow this petition

Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.

Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.