Major tech companies such as Apple, Google and Facebook subsidiary WhatsApp have expressed their dissatisfaction with the British intelligence service GCHQ in an open letter. He has come up with a plan to be able to wiretap into the encrypted messages.

The proposal implies that messaging services could add agents to certain group conversations and chats. The actual participants of the conversation would not notice this and the secret service would not have to crack codes to read the messages.

Tech platforms and telecom companies are normally required by law to transfer all kinds of information to authorities in the interest of national security. But so far they have always resisted every step that would reveal their encryption secrets and weaken them for the authorities. The British agents therefore see a good interim solution in their proposal.

But the tech companies speak of a serious threat to digital security and fundamental human rights. Others also do not like the proposal from London.

In total there are 47 signatures under the letter, also from scientists and interest groups.