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Facebooks end-to-end encryption could prevent MI5 and police stopping terror attacks, a top Government adviser has warned.

Jonathan Hall, QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, said he was extremely worried by Facebook and other social media firms plans to introduce encryption on messaging services that would prevent even the companies seeing communications.

He said it would not only deprive law enforcement agencies of vital leads on terror plots but also leave the social media companies with their hands tied behind their backs in the battle to counter extremists grooming potential recruits.

My view is one of extreme worry, said Mr Hall. I would like to see a sincere conversation where the costs and consequences are really spelled out.

There is an element of the [tech companies saying] we can do it and we are going to do it without fully spelling out in a clear way the costs and consequences.

Why do they need that additional layer [of encryption] now? What is wrong with the internet as it is now?What is the gain against the obvious consequences?

He identified two key consequences. First there is the ability of law enforcement to detect leads upstream. That involves communications online which give them advance indications of real world violence. Thats a really important consequence, said Mr Hall.

The second is how those who are responsible for this technology are themselves going to be able to to comply with any duty imposed on them.

For example, they could lose the ability to scan content to pick up hashed images of beheadings or hashed images of the Christchurch massacre.

If they are going to recognise their responsibilities, how are they going to meet those responsibilities if they tie their hands behind their back via encryption?

His comments follow warnings by ministers from the UK, US, Japan, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and India that Facebooks plans will prevent law enforcement agencies pursuing paedophiles who use the platform to groom and abuse children.

The seven nations which account for one in five of Facebooks 2.7 billion users are demanding that Facebook embed systems to enable the company and law enforcement agencies to continue to access illegal content and activity including child abuse as well as terrorism and serious crime.

Facebook accounts for 94 per cent of the 69 million suspect child abuse images or videos passed to investigators in the past year, a 50 per cent rise on the previous year, which law enforcement agencies warn will disappear if the tech firm goes ahead with encryption.

It is thought the Home Office is pressing for encryption to be part of the Governments planned duty of care laws to combat online harms including terrorism and child abuse.

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Facebooks encryption could prevent MI5 and police from stopping terror attacks and child abuse - Telegraph.co.uk