Boris Johnson ‘can’t remember passcode’ to phone with Covid WhatsApp messages

Yes it did, although it led to a bit of mockery as a local US police force paid a hacker to break in to a iphone and got access at around the same time the FBI had this issue.

TBF @Euapp has now raised a pretty important piece of information - if the whatsapp information is irretrievable without password access then until the password is retrieved then it appears the data is beyond reach.

Given the popularity of whatsapp & the digital technical capacity & knowledge we supposedly possess in the UK, how was this issue not preemptively spotted by a relevant department of the state. No doubt no corrective action will occur and the same issue will re-emerge at another enquiry in a few years costing several hundred more million.

It’s been an issue for at least the last five years ( at least in France) for the justice system and the subject of many high level meetings. However neither those that manufacture the telephones or those that develop the apps are willing to do anything to help the justice systems in case they lose their client base. Where does legitimate sharing of information become abuse and a lack of respect for the private life and views of clients?

(edited 9 months ago)

Reply 21

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

20

Original post by Euapp

It’s been an issue for at least the last five years ( at least in France) for the justice system and the subject of many high level meetings. However neither those that manufacture the telephones or those that develop the apps are willing to do anything to help the justice systems in case they lose their client base. Where does legitimate sharing of information become abuse and a lack of respect for the private life and views of clients?

It just strikes me if this is an issue the government should be capable of commissioning a secure state messenger service with off device servers for government/MoD/security services…

I understand your average man on the street, but how was communication backups of the prime minister not seen as essential is what i find somewhat mind boggling - they need to use an alternative platform.

Reply 22

Euapp

21

Original post by mnot

It just strikes me if this is an issue the government should be capable of commissioning a secure state messenger service with off device servers for government/MoD/security services…

I understand your average man on the street, but how was communication backups of the prime minister not seen as essential is what i find somewhat mind boggling - they need to use an alternative platform.

I understand where you are coming from.But if you were in government and knew that your slightest doubtful joke could later be examined by the intelligence services, would you actually use the « encrypted « message service provided by the Mod or continue using WhatsApp that couldn’t give a monkeys about government and protects its client base? This would just lead to one official messenger service with another unofficial operating in parallel. Imo that’s exactly what happened here.

Reply 23

mnot

Universities Forum Helper

20

Original post by Rowanz

I used to like Boris he was a character, and quite intelligent despite the way he looks and acts. but his actions over covid, then Ukraine.. never

What did you not like about how he managed the Ukraine situation?

Of all the things Boris is associated with, this is the more surprising negative.

OP

Original post by mnot

What did you not like about how he managed the Ukraine situation?

Of all the things Boris is associated with, this is the more surprising negative.

Agreed, the Ukraine thing is the one of the few if not only thing that I/you can praise BJ for.

Reply 25

TypicalNerd

18

Original post by Talkative Toad

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/boris-johnson-can-t-remember-passcode-to-phone-with-covid-whatsapp-messages/ar-AA1dOFA2
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/boris-johnson-forgot-password-of-old-phone-wanted-by-covid-inquiry/ar-AA1dOEwL

Probably a non-story here, but it does seem suspicious and well-timed in my opinion :rolleyes:

.

What do you think?

Oh how very convenient…

OP

Original post by TypicalNerd

Oh how very convenient…

Convenient indeed, wonder whether this is intentional or not especially given the titles of the news articles in the OP.

Reply 27

Napp

22

Overly convenient :rolleyes:

It does rather beg the question why the over funded security service hasn't managed to get their sticky little mits on a backdoor passcode yet though. For the untold riches given to them each year they dont seem to generate a whole lot of use if you cant even call on them to unlock the ex-pm's phone.

Reply 28

subbhy

18

Original post by Talkative Toad

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/boris-johnson-can-t-remember-passcode-to-phone-with-covid-whatsapp-messages/ar-AA1dOFA2
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/boris-johnson-forgot-password-of-old-phone-wanted-by-covid-inquiry/ar-AA1dOEwL

Probably a non-story here, but it does seem suspicious and well-timed in my opinion :rolleyes:

.

What do you think?

Lies obviously.

But even so, all he has to do is hand over the phone to a certain Piers Morgan

Reply 29

michaelhw

17

Is it true that he is throwing a huge party to celebrate the end of the pandemic? The whole Tory party will be present, they say. Of course, now he has every right to get drunk. And it is not on state funds, but rather taken from party purse. It will be a themed party, drawing inspiration from the Persian Shah.

Reply 30

Admit-One

Universities Forum Helper

21

Since this has been bumped, the COVID enquiry is underway and Johnson has just been asked about the missing WhatsApp messages. I'll quote Beth Rigby (Sky News) so you can have a laugh at how much of a politicians response this is:

Johnson being quizzed on why c5,000 whatsapp messages from Jan 2020 to June 2020 are lost on his phone (so all the exchanges in run-up to first lockdown). Johnson said he can’t give a techical explanation. Asked if he did factory reset on phone, BJ says ‘doesn’t remember any such thing’. Adds for the avoidance of doubt I want to make it clear I didn’t remove any whatsapp’s from my phone

So there you go. he didn't "remove" them from his phone, but he may, (or may not), have done a factory reset.

The usual contempt and taking everyone else to be mugs.

Reply 31

JVM2020

22

Boris is a coward. He will have to live with his reputation for the rest of his life.

Reply 32

Euapp

21

Original post by JVM2020

Boris is a coward. He will have to live with his reputation for the rest of his life.

Do you think he really cares? He took the option that 99.9% of the population would have done in his place.

Reply 33

JVM2020

22

Original post by Euapp

Do you think he really cares? He took the option that 99.9% of the population would have done in his place.

Of course he won't care. But people will still have a hate of him. The dead can't hear him apologise for his actions.

He doesn't care about anything but himself.

Reply 34

NJA

20

People on alternative media are saying that the main point of the "Covid Enquiry" is to show our National Government to be incompetent and therefore we should allow future health issues to be managed (dictated) by the W.E.F.

"I couldn't possibly comment"

Boris Johnson ‘can’t remember passcode’ to phone with Covid WhatsApp messages

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