Ms Whittaker said the video offered “scientifically unsubstantiated claims”. But she said that the video had also “pulled the veil off the intentions behind this bill”, and that it had made clear the legislation “really is attacking encryption”.

“It appears to me that there’s a little bit of desperation – and now they’ve taken the gloves off,” she told The Independent. “And they are saying the quiet part loud, which is that we don’t want more encryption.”