Addressing Corruption as a Driver of Organised Crime in the Black Sea Region

Work in Progress

Combating the Illicit Use of Encrypted Communications Platforms

Although they are not specifically designed for criminal use, the rise of encrypted, instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal into the mainstream has helped facilitate illegal operations on both the international and the local level, as well as remove or minimise barriers and risks associated with acquiring illicit drugs. Governments and international organisations have to grapple with the delicate balancing act between detecting and intercepting illegal operations and preserving the privacy and data security of regular citizens. Attempts to mandate the companies controlling these apps create a backdoor in their encryption for judicial and police authorities have been met with widespread pushback and expert concerns and have thus far been unsuccessful.

Consider how your nation balances the personal privacy of its citizens with the need to disrupt the daily operations of criminal organisations, and how that can be implemented into UN initiatives and recommendations without compromising on the core principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and of national sovereignty.