Messages from the archive of Rutherford Hall, critical communications strategist
WhatsApp to Stephen: Eek. It will be tough. The tech lobby is freaking out over the UK’s new online safety laws. They hate that I could see them ordered to weaken end-to-end encryption in messaging apps. Ministers say encryption protects pedophiles and terrorists and are assuming powers to ask police to have a backdoor into the system; such as decryption keys or perhaps just requesting that all messages be shared confidentially with Isabel Oakeshott.
From: Rutherford@Monkwellstrategy.com
To: Siri@techmartrys.com
Hi Syria,
We are excited to help your lobbying campaign. Our customers are voicing the same fears about laws to prevent tech giants from doing whatever they see fit. It is big government against the individual. You are so right. Ayn Rand would see it for what it is. This is Atlas shrugged and it’s happening in real time.
But we need to reframe the debate. Right now we have techies talking about privacy and secure communications against ministers who absolutely don’t understand technology but have a powerful public safety line playing with voters.
Best, Rutherford
Member DSIT Panel on Business and the Metaverse
Find me on Strava, KoM Sydenham Hill, PR London to Brighton 3h 37min
From WhatsApp to Siri: No, I did not test that point on voters who enjoy child abuse crackdowns with focus groups. I’m not sure we need more data on this point.
From WhatsApp to Siri: Honestly, I wouldn’t talk about the “stellar record” of tech companies in content safety and moderation. But I would be happy to give you survey data on this!
From: Rutherford@Monkwellstrategy.com
To: Siri@techmartyrs.com
Hi Syria,
We look at two arguments here. First is your warnings that users may be more vulnerable to hacking and that evil governments will use the weakness for persecution. I know you think these privacy arguments are critical, but ministers know that voters prioritize counter-terrorism and child safety over civil liberties. Either way, people assume that everything online will get hacked sooner or later anyway.
We see more traction with the government as it plays out the broader threat to Britain’s status as a global tech hub. Have you heard Rishi Sunak talk about the Kingdom of Unicorns – yes, I know, it’s awful. You can just tell that it came up at the end of a long meeting and people weren’t really listening or were too tired to object. That’s how we got the Millennium Dome.
Rishi wants Britain to be a magnet for tech talent. But there have been a series of decisions and policies that have given the industry chills. So our message must be that the UK is now expensive, bureaucratic, overly regulated and less tech-friendly than the EU. This will really hit them. Signal has already said they would pack their bags if this law is enacted. Can we get someone in Meta to say the same on WhatsApp? This is true Atlas shruggedlevel game. But don’t make Nick Clegg tell you, he has less credibility here than Boris Johnson’s hairdresser.
Best, Rutherford
DSIT Panel member. . .
Find me on Strava. . .
WhatsApp to FrankP@DowningStreet: Frank, congratulations on your new role. I can’t think of a better choice for business consultant than Rishi. Listen, I’m really concerned about the impact the policies are having on our ambitions for Britain as a Unicorn Kingdom. By the way, who came up with that phrase? It’s bloody brilliant
WhatsApp FrankP@Downing Street: Seriously, Meta may close WhatsApp if you do. What will tech say in the UK if one of the giants shuts down its service and heads to Europe. I’m not bothered by exaggerated arguments about privacy – privacy, schmivacy – but I am, and I worry about the damage this will do to the UK. You can’t be an innovation superpower if tech companies have fled to Berlin. No unicorns, no Unicorn Kingdom. And Carthorse Kingdom doesn’t sound so good.
WhatsApp to FrankP@Downing Street: No, of course it’s not about the cost. Some of these guys are great philanthropists.
WhatsApp to Stefano: I’m seriously worried about MartinK at Banca Volpone. That data breach is really hurting him.
WhatsApp to Stefano: What? How did it come out? Are all the details of the Volpone loan that allowed me to buy your shares on the web as a result of that data breach? This is a disaster. We didn’t even tell the staff. Wasn’t it encrypted? What was MartinK thinking?
From WhatsApp to Siri: You know, on reflection maybe we could emphasize the point of security and privacy a little more.
WhatsApp to FrankP@Downing Street: Frank, it’s not just about UK plc. I think we underestimated the data security issue. Our private businesses, being vulnerable to enemies of the state, rival businesses or our own personnel, could erode faith in the foundations of democracy and capitalism. Imagine if every sensitive message you sent could be hacked by the Chinese, or worse, the Daily Telegraph. If we undermine the encryption that protects our way of life, aren’t we really letting the terrorists win?
Messages retrieved by Robert Shrimsley
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