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Gardaí to Gain Power to intercept live encrypted chats

A new bill has been proposed by Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan that would grant Gardaí, the Defence Forces, and the Garda Ombudsman

A new bill has been proposed by Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan that would grant Gardaí, the Defence Forces, and the Garda Ombudsman authority to intercept live chats on encrypted platforms, including WhatsApp, iMessage, Instagram, satellite networks, gaming systems, and even in-car technology. Tech giants like Apple, Meta (WhatsApp), Google, and TikTok are expected to challenge the reforms, citing strong end-to-end encryption that safeguards user privacy. Minister O’Callaghan argues the changes are necessary to fight organised crime, terrorism, child abuse, and ransomware, calling the overhaul “urgent” to equip state agencies with proper accountability procedures.

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