The UK home secretary has claimed that end-to-end encryption only aids terrorists with something to hide. She’s mistaken – here's how it benefits all of us

Rudd wants Silicon Valley to square the circle Dan Kitwood/Getty

Amber Rudd is at it again. Today, the UK home secretary took to the pages of The Daily Telegraph to continue her crusade against end-to-end encryption in messaging apps like WhatsApp.

She retreads the same argument we’ve seen her – and prime minister Theresa May – make on multiple occasions. If a messaging app is end-to-end encrypted, then only the participants in a conversation can read the messages in it. It’s impossible for anyone – even the company running the service – to intercept or read those messages.

“Real people”, Rudd …