Following recent developments in the US and the UK, Signal has found itself in a direct confrontation with Swedish authorities over law enforcement demands to introduce a technical backdoor under the guise of “fighting crime.”
#Sweden is set to pass a law requiring companies to store user messages and implement backdoors accessible to the police and the security service Säpo. This would allow law enforcement to request message histories from individuals suspected of criminal activity.
In an exclusive interview with SVT, #Signal president Meredith Whittaker, stated that the proposed law would completely undermine Signal’s security architecture, which the company deems unacceptable.
“If this law is passed, Signal will leave the Swedish market,” she warned.
“The requirement means breaking our own encryption, which is the foundation of our business. We will never take that step and will likely withdraw from the country entirely.”
Whittaker emphasized that introducing a backdoor in one country creates a global vulnerability that could be exploited by malicious actors.
Interestingly, the Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) have also opposed the legislation. In a letter to the government, the military warned that backdoors inevitably introduce critical security flaws that could be exploited by third parties, including hackers. Moreover, they explicitly recommended using Signal for security purposes.
Whittaker also referenced the recent Salt Typhoon cyberattack, hinting at potential risks from China.
“There is no such thing as a backdoor that’s only accessible to the ‘good guys,’” she stated.
The bill could be brought to a parliamentary vote as early as March 2025. Meanwhile, the fate of WhatsApp in Sweden remains uncertain.
