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Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw warned he would name and shame companies which don't comply with requests.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

There is growing concern within security agencies about Facebook and other social media companies moving to end-to-end encrypted messaging and anonymous browsing.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw on Wednesday said his organisation would"name and shame"companies that do not fully co-operate with requests for access to encrypted messages and content on the dark web,and suggested new laws may be needed.

A senior security source said Facebook would become"the largest dark website on the planet"under its changes,which could hide the IP addresses of Facebook users from authorities.

Facebook is introducing end-to-end encryption across its messaging platforms – including Messenger,WhatsApp and Instagram - which prevents anyone from being able to read private messages by encrypting both ends of a conversation.

While laws passed in 2018 give security agencies such as the AFP the power to access end-to-end encrypted messages with a warrant,the Morrison government is concerned Facebook's move to also allow"anonymising browsing"will create a giant dark web of 2 billion users.

Security agencies fear they would be unable to catch child sex abusers and other serious criminals in the first instance because their IP address and browsing history would be increasingly hidden under Facebook's changes.

The Australian and US governments are still hopeful Facebook will agree to keep a record of the browsing history,which security agencies could then access under existing laws such as Australia's metadata regime,and to allow"lawful access"to encrypted messages.

Mr Kershaw said end-to-end encryption and other anonymising technologies used on the dark web were making it"easier to commit serious crimes and in volumes never witnessed before".

"On top of that,the dark web allows criminals to trade in child abuse material,sell illegal firearms and illicit drugs and plan terrorist attacks,"Mr Kershaw told the National Press Club.

"Those big companies that are planning end-to-end encryption,I'm not convinced they've thought that through.

"If I was running those companies,and you're going to contribute to the rape and torture of children,I can't see why that's a good thing."

Mr Kershaw said Australian tech companies had been supportive of the AFP's move to tackle child sex abuse but he was"not that happy with Facebook and others".

Asked whether new laws were needed,Mr Kershaw said"we're already having these kinds of discussions around the policy settings".

Last year the AFP received almost 17,000 reports of child exploitation,about 45 cases a day. So far this year there have already been 11,325 reports.

"If we went to the dark web,it's probably 10 times that amount,"Mr Kershaw said.

As part of the Morrison government's plan to go after serious criminals on the dark web,Australia's chief foreign cyber agency,the Australian Signals Directorate,could be given the power to spy on offenders using servers which are based in Australia.

Under current laws,the ASD is restricted in only being allowed to spy on and hack into the systems of criminals overseas.

The change could allow the AFP to enlist the ASD to go after paedophiles,terrorists and other serious criminals using locally-based servers.

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