UK government plans publicity blitz against encrypted communications

The UK government is set to launch a multi-pronged publicity attack on end-to-end encryption, Rolling Stone has learned. The Home Office has hired the M&C Saatchi advertising agency - a spin-off of Saatchi and Saatchi, which made the "Labour Isn't Working" election posters, among the most famous in UK political history - to plan the campaign, using public funds. Multiple sources confirmed the campaign was due to start this month, with privacy groups already planning a counter-campaign. The plans include a media blitz, campaign efforts from UK charities and law enforcement agencies, calls to action for the public to contact tech companies directly, and multiple real-world stunts - some designed to make the public "Uneasy." The presentation was produced to recruit potential not-for-profit coalition partners, so it is not clear whether or not each proposed action within was approved for the final campaign. The same slide notes that the campaign "Must not start a privacy vs safety debate." Online advocates slammed the UK government plans as "Scaremongering" that could put children and vulnerable adults at risk by undermining online privacy. The UK government has been among the most strident in the democratic world in its opposition to end-to-end encryption - to an extent that has prompted a backlash even among some former senior security officials.