French National Assembly rejects anti-encryption proposal

Ruling may prove a headache for UK govt

Despite pressure from French Interior Ministry, lawmakers refused to force messaging companies to allow law enforcement to silently listen in on encrypted chats.

The French National Assembly has rejected a controversial proposal that would have undermined end-to-end encryption under the guise of combating drug trafficking. The vote comes as a significant victory for digital rights advocates and privacy campaigners who warned that the measure would have introduced systemic vulnerabilities and set a dangerous precedent.

Despite intense pressure from the Interior Ministry, lawmakers struck down a provision that would have forced messaging platforms such as Signal and WhatsApp to allow hidden access to private conversations. The proposal, likened to the widely discredited "ghost” participant model, would have enabled law enforcement agencies to secretly join encrypted chats, essentially a backdoor to private communications.

Security experts and civil liberties groups had strongly opposed the measure, arguing that such an approach would erode trust in digital platforms and create a tool ripe for abuse.

The rejection of the backdoor provision sends a strong signal globally, particularly as governments in the UK, US and Australia continue to push for similar anti-encryption policies. The UK has been embroiled in a long-running battle over encrypted services, with the government advocating for backdoor access in the name of national security and child protection.

An appeal by Apple to the UK Investigatory Powers Tribunal against the government order demanding a backdoor be built into Apple’s ADP service was recently held in secret. The company has withdrawn the encryption feature for UK users rather than comply with the order.

Apple previously threatened to withdraw iMessage and FaceTime from the UK market if compelled to undermine encryption under the provisons of the Online Safety Act.

Computing says:

France’s decision demonstrates that it is possible to balance security concerns with fundamental digital rights. Lawmakers who voted against the proposal recognised that encryption is not just a tool for activists and journalists but a fundamental protection for all citizens, including medical professionals, abuse survivors and ordinary individuals seeking privacy in an increasingly surveilled world.

The rejection of the French proposal shows that sustained public pressure and expert advocacy can influence legislative outcomes, but the fight is far from over. Privacy campaigners warn that law enforcement agencies will likely continue to push for such powers, potentially repackaging them in future legislative efforts.