Written question asked by Joe Robertson (Conservative) on Wednesday, 5 March 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 7 March 2025. It was answered by Dan Jarvis (Labour) on Wednesday, 12 March 2025 on behalf of the Home Office.

Cryptography

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that backdoor access to encrypted data is not misused by unauthorised actors.

Answer

The UK has a longstanding position of protecting people’s privacy whilst also ensuring action can be taken against child sexual abusers and terrorists.

The suggestion that cybersecurity and access to data by law enforcement are at odds is false. The Investigatory Powers Act contains robust safeguards and independent oversight to protect privacy and ensure that data is only obtained on an exceptional basis and only when it is necessary and proportionate to do so.

It is entirely possible to have robust cyber security measures that guard against access to data by malicious actors whilst also ensuring data can be disclosed in response to specific authorised requests.

Home Office Ministers and senior officials regularly meet with key stakeholders, including technology companies, on a range of policies and issues.

Details of ministerial meetings are published on a quarterly basis on gov.uk.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 35954
Session: 2024-26
Grouped for answer: Yes
Subjects: Cryptography Cybersecurity
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Cryptography

Secondary information

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