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This website can help you get your say Cyber Security A "political blackmail" – the EU Parliament is pressing for an agreement on the chat scanning bill Computing Security Cyber Security FTC calls on big tech to resist UK and EU demands to weaken encryption and censor content Chiara Castro 27 August 2025 FTC Chair specifically mentions the EU Digital Service Act, UK Online Safety Act, and UK Investigatory Powers Act. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Andrew Ferguson, chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), during a Bloomberg Television interview in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, August 22, 2025. (Image credit: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images) The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair wrote a letter to 13 US tech giants, calling on them to resist foreign demands to weaken encryption or censor content FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson specifically mentions the EU Digital Service Act, UK Online Safety Act, and UK Investigatory Powers Act as problematic The pledge comes days after the US managed to get the UK to drop the encryption backdoor demand against Apple The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is calling on US tech giants to resist foreign demands to either weaken the security of their users by breaking encryption protections or impose censorship on their platforms. On Thursday, August 21, 2025, FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson wrote a letter to 13 tech companies, including Apple, Alphabet (parent firm behind Google), Meta, Microsoft, and Amazon. Ferguson specifically mentions the EU Digital Service Act, UK Online Safety Act, and UK Investigatory Powers Act as attempts to "censor content or degrade security for users." These actions, he warns, could also violate Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act that prohibits unfair or deceptive acts, while eroding Americans' freedoms and online security. You may like The UK could make a U-turn on Apple's encryption backdoor demand Google confirms the UK has not asked it to weaken encryption with a backdoor – unlike Apple Europol doesn't only want an encryption backdoor, but also your metadata "Foreign governments seeking to limit free expression or weaken data security in the United States might count on the fact that companies have an incentive to simplify their operations and legal compliance measures by applying uniform policies across jurisdictions," wrote Ferguson. This pledge comes only days after the US officials managed to score a win and made the UK agree to drop its encryption backdoor request against Apple, which was issued back in February via a Technical Capability Notice (TCN) under the 2016 Investigatory Powers Act. A greater push for control (Image credit: Photo Illustration by Idrees Abbas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) The UK and the EU have pushed for greater control over the internet in the name of safety over the last few years, crafting legislation that often requires US tech providers to adjust their services. There are two main areas of contention: encryption and harmful, but legal, content. Encryption refers to the technology used by security software like the best VPN apps, secure email, and encrypted messaging apps to keep online communications private between you and the receiver. While that's a crucial protection – especially as major cyberattacks like Salt Typhoon become the norm – authorities see this as an obstacle to criminal investigation and are pushing for the creation of backdoors into encrypted software. The likes of Signal and WhatsApp have already voiced their concerns against laws and proposals such as the UK Online Safety Act and EU Chat Control. US tech firms and officials alike have also been raising concerns about new UK and EU requirements to mitigate online dangers by halting the spread of misinformation and content that could harm minors. These frictions led the Trump administration to consider imposing sanctions on the EU for censoring Americans and imposing higher costs on US tech firms under its Digital Service Act – Reuters reported on Monday, August 26. You might also like Europe needs to decouple from Big Tech USA: Here are 5 ways it can be achieved The Online Safety Act isn't just about age verification – end-to-end encryption is also at risk "A war against online anonymity" – why Switzerland wants to change its surveillance law and what's at stake See more Computing News Chiara Castro Social Links Navigation News Editor (Tech Software) Chiara is a multimedia journalist committed to covering stories to help promote the rights and denounce the abuses of the digital side of life – wherever cybersecurity, markets, and politics tangle up. She believes an open, uncensored, and private internet is a basic human need and wants to use her knowledge of VPNs to help readers take back control. She writes news, interviews, and analysis on data privacy, online censorship, digital rights, tech policies, and security software, with a special focus on VPNs, for TechRadar and TechRadar Pro. Got a story, tip-off, or something tech-interesting to say? Reach out to chiara.castro@futurenet.com You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. The UK could make a U-turn on Apple's encryption backdoor demand Google confirms the UK has not asked it to weaken encryption with a backdoor – unlike Apple Europol doesn't only want an encryption backdoor, but also your metadata The EU wants to decrypt your private data by 2030 "Emergency requests are the new trend" – Big Tech increasingly forced to disclose users' data to authorities worldwide, according to a new report Worried about Chat Control? This website can help you get your say Latest in Cyber Security UK agrees to drop its Apple encryption backdoor request – but digital rights experts aren't ready to celebrate Worried about Chat Control? This website can help you get your say It’s not perfect, but the UK Online Safety Act deserves our support, as well as some improvements What happens to your data when you verify your age – and what are the risks? 4 regions you didn't know already had age verification laws – and how they're enforced A "political blackmail" – the EU Parliament is pressing for an agreement on the chat scanning bill Latest in News Square Enix has revealed Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival 2026 dates, and we'll hopefully learn more about the game's next expansion at the event Fortnite Dino Megazord release date and how to unlock it Many bosses don't believe their workers have good enough security awareness Samsung XR headset leak reveals potential price and release date – and it could be cheaper than the Vision Pro The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra could have major changes to its cameras and design, but one key spec might be lacking Adobe Firefly and Express are getting a Gemini AI boost that they hope will make your next ad campaign flashier than ever LATEST ARTICLES Early Asus ROG Xbox Ally X benchmark suggests excellent power efficiency and cooling – but I'm still not sold on the handheld Square Enix has revealed Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival 2026 dates, and we'll hopefully learn more about the game's next expansion at the event Many bosses don't believe their workers have good enough security awareness Listen up, runners! 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