If you think that the US government has given up on finding a way to get manufacturers to give up encryption keys for special circumstances, then we were apparently wrong. Sources are saying that the US Justice Department are once again preparing for a push to compel tech companies to build tools in their devices that would allow access to encrypted data, in case the need for it comes up in criminal investigations. They are now reportedly meeting with security experts on how best to approach this controversial issue.
We saw this problem come to a head a few years ago when back in 2016, Apple was being forced to help break into an iPhone of a suspect in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California. Consumer right and tech security advocates argue that having such a tool will also increase device vulnerability to hacking and nefarious attacks. In this day and age where hackers are becoming smarter and more advanced, it will only be a matter of time before they will be able to crack highly encrypted codes if some people are allowed to have access to it.
Government security agencies have long lamented that the use of encryption is blocking investigators’ abilities to carry out wiretap orders and search warrants, all in the name of protecting ordinary citizens’ rights. Tech companies are obviously against it since aside from the fact that it may affect consumers’ trust in their brand, it may also hinder them from developing devices that can be marketed as having advanced encryption, both for the hardware and the data in the cloud.
But there are also some tech experts trying to find a compromise since this issue will probably not go away anytime soon. These technologists have been discussing they research with government agencies on potential approaches that may have an acceptable level of risk. They are bringing “constructive dialogue” to the table rather than just accepting that there is no solution for both parties.
VIA: New York Times
