Britain General Election News: David Cameron Eyes Ban On Encrypted Messaging Apps to Tackle Terrorism

A week after the terrorist attacks on the office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, the British government has called for a new anti-terror law in cyberspace.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has pushed for the passage of new laws on the Internet that would deny terrorists any "safe space to communicate" online.

In his proposed legislation, Cameron said British intelligence agencies should have the legal power to break into the encrypted communications of suspected terrorists to help prevent attacks similar to what happened in Paris last week.

"In extremis, it has been possible to read someone's letter, to listen to someone's call, to mobile communications ... The question remains: are we going to allow a means of communications where it simply is not possible to do that?" Cameron asked.

"My answer to that question is: no, we must not. The first duty of any government is to keep our country and our people safe," he said after giving a speech on the economy in Nottingham, according to the Guardian.

Cameron's statement appears to send a bad signal for online messaging services like Whatsapp and Snapchat, which may face a ban should Cameron introduce a slew of new legislation if the Conservatives win the election.

Several messaging services like Snapchat, Apple's iMessage, WhatsApp, and Viber among others, encrypt messages sent through their applications.

Cameron's statement comes days after a warning from Andrew Parker that the intelligence agencies are in danger of losing the ability to monitor "dark places" on the web.

Parker is the current director-general of British Security Service, which provides the domestic security and counter-intelligence service in the United Kingdom.

Cameron's proposal also aims to provide a new legal framework for Britain's intelligence agencies to crack the communications of terror suspects if there was specific intelligence of an imminent attack.

The prime minister promised to ensure there would be what officials describe as "no no-go areas" on the net where terrorists can hide.

British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg immediately criticized Cameron.

"The irony appears to be lost on some politicians who say in one breath that they will defend freedom of expression and then in the next advocate a huge encroachment on the freedom of all British citizens," Clegg said in a speech delivered before to the Journalists' Charity at the Irish embassy on Monday night.