Apple, Facebook, Google To Face The Heat As Regulators Tighten Screws On Encrypted Messaging Services

From Google Inc GOOGLto Facebook Inc FB to Apple Inc. AAPL to every major tech company that boasts an encrypted messaging service as one of its products is going to feel the heat with countries tightening regulations on them in wake of the recent Paris attacks and their growing usage amongst terrorist organizations like the ISIS.

British PM, David Cameron, recently pledged to tighten the country’s laws against encrypted messaging service. Re/code's Kara Swisher was on CNBC Friday to weigh on this and to discuss the impact such regulatory pressure will have on tech companies.

“I think this is going to be a big issue, especially as Apple and Google continue to encrypt mobile communications and I think that’s the big fight,” Swisher said. “The FBI has been attacking the companies for that. I think it’s a difficult issue because there are existing laws in place to get these communications, the question is how transparent these companies want to be.”

“They want a say when the government is asking for these things,” she continued. “So, it’s going to be a big struggle between large tech companies which are global, just remember these are global tech companies and the government and you can’t leave out China and everywhere else. There’s messaging services all over the world. So, it’s going to be a very difficult thing for governments to control.”

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“It’s not going to happen,” Swisher replied. “ I mean, they can threaten it, but it’s not going to happen and besides there are messaging services all over the world. I mean, giant ones in China, giant ones in India. This is really, the question is, do existing laws in place take care of this and how transparent can companies be about government requests.”