Peter Dutton blasts Facebook’s new encryption plan: ‘a complete outrage’

The federal government has blasted Facebook’s plan to introduce encryption that would make it easier for paedophiles to send child abuse images over the internet.

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Facebook’s plan to introduce encryption that would make it easier for paedophiles to send child abuse images via Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp has been blasted as “a complete outrage” by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.

The number of referrals to protection agencies could fall by three-quarters under the controversial proposal which would leave even Facebook unable to see what sexual deviants — or terrorists — were up to.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. Picture Kym Smith

Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg. Picture: AFP

“It’s a complete outrage,” Mr Dutton told The Daily Telegraph. “I think there is a moral obligation on people like (Facebook CEO) Mark Zuckerberg to step up and do the right thing.

“At the moment they’re facilitating these criminals, these networks, these organised criminal syndicates who are exploiting and destroying the lives of young children and we need to call it out,” he said.

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In October, Mr Dutton and his equals in the US and UK co-wrote an open letter to the Facebook boss that called for the plan to be kiboshed.

He did not even bother to reply. Instead, Mr Zuckerberg had his minions respond, arguing that privacy was paramount to their business.

US authorities received about 16 million online child abuse tips from Facebook last year.

They estimate that could fall by 75 per cent if Facebook “goes dark”.

Mr Dutton said Facebook didn’t want to be seen as an “outlier”, because Apple already encrypted messages.

Critics of planned Facebook encryption say it will allow paedophiles and terrorists to hide.

Earlier this month, Australian child protection groups joined international counterparts in urging Mr Zuckerberg to rethink his plan.

“An increased risk of child abuse being facilitated on or by Facebook is not a reasonable trade-off to make,” Bravehearts and the Sydney-based Child Abuse Prevention Service wrote in a letter co-signed by 127 other groups.

“Children should not be put in harm’s way as a result of commercial decisions or design choices.”

In October, during an internal Facebook Q&A session, Mr Zuckerberg admitted losing access to the content of messages meant, “you’re fighting that battle with at least a hand tied behind your back”.

A Facebook spokesman last night said, “for years we’ve been tackling this issue with the most advanced technologies, industry collaboration and partnerships with child safety experts. We’re devoting new teams (and) enormous resources … to detect patterns of activity toward the goal of building the safest, private space for people to connect.”

Peter Dutton is concerned the new encryption could let child abuse go unnoticed.

The $930 billion company has previously said it may instead start monitoring comments on photos and tracking blocked accounts.

Mr Dutton’s attack comes as the government considers enlisting Australia’s foreign cyber intelligence agency to help track down online paedophiles and terrorists. The plan reportedly involves the Australian Federal Police working more closely with the Australian Signals Directorate — or ramping up the AFP’s own capabilities.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison became emotional yesterday when asked about the plan. “If I thought someone was abusing a child somewhere, I’d kick the door down, I’d go and try and rescue that child,” Mr Morrison said.

“And so those who want to abuse children shouldn’t get to be able to hide in the internet.”