The French so-called "Narcotraffic" bill, currently being debated in the National Assembly, is sparking fierce controversy. Under the guise of combating drug trafficking, this law could impose "backdoors" in encrypted messaging systems such as Signal, WhatsApp, and Olvid. This measure, presented as an essential tool in the fight against drug trafficking, is provoking fierce opposition from security experts and privacy advocates, including Signal. Although it claims to strengthen public safety, it risks seriously compromising communications privacy and overall cybersecurity.
If France goes too far with the Narcotrafficking law, Signal will leave the country
This is an untenable situation for Meredith Whittaker, the president of the Signal Foundation, who warned about the X platform. The American company has made it clear that it would leave the French market rather than comply with such legislation.
The heart of the problem lies in the section of this law that would require platforms like Signal to allow the government to discreetly add itself to any group chat or private conversation. The idea, often referred to as a "ghost participant," would allow authorities to listen in on and monitor encrypted communications without the other participants being informed. While the law's proponents attempt to minimize the impact of this measure by ensuring that it does not "break encryption," Signal categorically refutes this argument. For enforcement, the very principle of end-to-end encryption relies on the existence of only two ends: the sender and the recipient(s). Any attempt to add a "third end," regardless of the method used, constitutes a de facto backdoor.
This proposal is not new. A similar idea was already put forward in the United Kingdom in 2019, but it was widely rejected by the tech community and was never implemented. Moreover, Signal emphasizes that communications know no borders. A vulnerability created in France would become a potential gateway for anyone wishing to compromise the security and privacy of Signal users around the world. Instead of having to defeat strong encryption based on sound mathematics, it would be enough to compromise a French government employee or the software used to introduce agents into private conversations.
Signal stands for strong, flawless encryption
Signal's announcement of potentially leaving the French market comes amidst a worrying international situation. Recently, the UK was at the center of a controversy after Apple was forced to weaken the encryption of its iCloud backups for British users, following a secret government request. Similar initiatives are also under discussion in other European countries, such as Sweden, and the specter of "Chat Control" legislation looms large in Brussels.
Signal hoped that this "immature and dishonest attack" would fail, and the messaging service appears to have been overheard during the night of Thursday to Friday.
The National Assembly rejects access to encrypted messaging services, a relief for Signal users?
The National Assembly has largely rejected access to encrypted messaging services. Despite strong support for this measure from Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, a majority of MPs decided to maintain the confidentiality of these messaging services... after a vote disrupted by a rare technical failure.
The provision was rejected shortly before midnight by 119 votes against and only 24 votes for. The result is a setback for the Home Secretary and a relief for privacy advocates and companies like Signal, who had strongly condemned the proposal.
While the threat from Signal now appears to be receding, it is important to note that during the same parliamentary session, MPs approved other intelligence techniques in the fight against organized crime, such as algorithmic surveillance and the extension of the experiment with satellite interceptions. The debate on the balance between security and privacy in the digital age therefore remains open, but for now, French Signal users can continue to use the application without fear of direct government surveillance of their encrypted conversations. Among these users is the President of the Republic. Emmanuel Macron uses the Signal messaging service for his personal communications, in complementing the Olvid application for his communications with his advisors.
This Friday, MPs will continue examining the proposed law. They will notably debate another controversial provision: the "safe file".
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