Briefing: end-to-end encryption and child sexual abuse material

5Rights in collaboration with Professor Hany Farid, a professor at the University of California and researcher on digital forensics and image analysis, developed a briefing on end-to-end encryption.

A plan by Facebook, and others, to implement end-to-end encryption across their services, including on Instagram Direct and Facebook Messenger, is set to be a boon for child predators and abusers.

Specifically, it could cripple the global effort to disrupt the online distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). While 5Rights is not opposed to end-to-end encryption, we highlight the lack of evidence detailing how these changes can maintain or improve the protection of children online. The briefing also identifies PhotoDNA as a solution that can maintain people’s privacy, allowing for the monitoring of known CSAM.