Suella Braverman, the UK Home Secretary, wants to "work constructively" with Meta on the company's plans to implement end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) messaging in Instagram and Facebook by the end of the year, which she thinks will provide a "safe haven" for paedophiles and harm children.
Meta said it will continue to share relevant details with law enforcement and child abuse charities.
Braverman has written to tech giant to voice her worries.
A number of charities and technology professionals have signed the letter, which begs the firm to disclose more details on how it will keep consumers safe.
Braverman told Times Radio earlier this week that E2EE might lead to platforms being "safe havens for paedophiles."
"Meta has failed to provide assurances that they will keep their platforms safe from sickening abusers," Braverman added, urging parents to "take seriously the threat that Meta is posing to our children. It also must develop appropriate safeguards to sit alongside their plans for end-to-end encryption.”
Braverman stated that the government will use the powers given to it by the new Online Safety Bill legislation, which allows telecoms regulator Ofcom to compel tech companies to violate E2EE and hand over information linked to probable abuse cases if necessary.
It is currently unclear whether this is possibly feasible without incorporating back-door access to such systems, which, according to tech companies, creates security and privacy issues.
Meta stated that it has a "clear and thorough approach to safety" that focuses on "sharing relevant information with the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children and law enforcement agencies."
Braverman's intervention comes a day after the Online Safety Bill was given final approval by parliament and will now receive royal assent before becoming law.
Tech firms such as Meta have decried the bill's threat to E2EE, with WhatsApp threatening to leave the UK if it becomes law.
The government appeared to make a partial retreat earlier this month, stating it would only employ these powers as a "last resort" and when a technology that permits information to be extracted in a secure manner is established.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stated his support for the measure earlier this year, in April. "I think everyone wants to make sure their privacy is protected online," Sunak said. "But people also want to know that law enforcement agencies can keep them safe and have reasonable ways to do so, and that's what we're trying to do with the Online Safety Bill."
Meta said in August that by the end of the year, it would be implementing E2EE on private communications across all of its platforms.
