FBI Director: Ban Encryption to Counter Domestic Extremism

[DadSmith]

FBI Director: Ban Encryption to Counter Domestic Extremism

m.theepochtimes.com

I guess signal app and others like it seem to be working well. The totalitarian police state is having problems seeing everyone's communication.

"According to Wray and other law enforcers, tech companies should be able to build “backdoors” into their encryption that preserves privacy, while allowing for access when necessary. That, they say, strikes the proper balance between data security and national security."

"However, numerous tech experts, civil libertarians, and others say that it’s impossible to build a backdoor that can’t be exploited by hackers. They also say that by banning encryption, the United States would be following in the footsteps of authoritarian countries such as China, which recently blocked the encrypted messaging app Signal."

 

[buckwacker]

FBI Director: Ban Encryption to Counter Domestic Extremism

m.theepochtimes.com

I guess signal app and others like it seem to be working well. The totalitarian police state is having problems seeing everyone's communication.

"According to Wray and other law enforcers, tech companies should be able to build “backdoors” into their encryption that preserves privacy, while allowing for access when necessary. That, they say, strikes the proper balance between data security and national security."

"However, numerous tech experts, civil libertarians, and others say that it’s impossible to build a backdoor that can’t be exploited by hackers. They also say that by banning encryption, the United States would be following in the footsteps of authoritarian countries such as China, which recently blocked the encrypted messaging app Signal."

This is what they want people to think. They can look at what they want, but if people don't think they can, the guard comes down.

 

[Ingomike]

Wouldn't a law that bans encryption be unconstitutional as it keeps the people from being secure in their "papers"...

 

[actaeon277]

Cause the bad guys will use encryption with a back door.
You know, they couldn't find encryption software anywhere else.

 

[DadSmith]

When my son's were deployed they were told to use Signal for the encryption and security the app provides. My niece is currently deployed to Africa and she is now using Signal app.

The encryption works. However, if there is a way for the feds to get in than anyone with the proper skills will be.


If the feds can get in they wouldn't be asking for congress to regulate the technology.

 

[rooster]

The true believers, the real terrorists (not grandma who took a stroll in the capital) that are out there likely aren’t even using encryption. They are passing notes via courier or other networks (the Muslim hawala network comes to mind).

they aren’t using USD to move large amounts of cash anymore either so the bank move is stupid as well. Why use traceable USD when you can use crypto?

 

[Leadeye]

I get an uneasy feeling these days every time I see info about the obsession justice has with "domestic terrorism". I'm not sure how they define that, but terrorism is bad regardless from which direction it comes from and if you have a rat problem you should be looking both outside and inside the house.

 

[Ark]

Look into what's coming up with Windows 11. Requirements for ID chip hardware on motherboards so you can be identified by your hardware regardless of VPNs and other internet privacy tools. Sold as "security features", actual intent is to abolish private and anonymous speech and data transfer.

FBI has been beating the anti-encryption drum for decades, they'll change the excuse however many times is needed to obtain compliance. Surprised they aren't saying "ban encryption because covid".

 

[KLB]

The FBI isn't the only "free" world agency beating that drum.

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Wouldn't a law that bans encryption be unconstitutional as it keeps the people from being secure in their "papers"...

I don't think so, at least as long as the govt goes through the Constitutionally mandated process to access them. Which good luck with that.

 

[JTScribe]

He should be removed from his position for violating his oath to uphold the Constitution.

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Banning technology is a foolish endeavor. Pandora could never cram anything back in that box.

That said, the "backdoor" is not for eavesdropping. That's a different issue. It's for things like a warrant is granted for the data on X device, but X device is encrypted and the warrant is effectively useless at getting the data. What the feds wanted was for someone like Apple to have the equivalent of an override code so that, when presented with a warrant for X device, they could be compelled to provide the override code for that device.

The downside is if a backdoor exists, bad actors will also get it, and given Apple's reliance on China it's pretty obvious they would gain access to it. Then it just becomes a matter of resources to decrypt anything.

 

[KLB]

Banning technology is a foolish endeavor. Pandora could never cram anything back in that box.

That said, the "backdoor" is not for eavesdropping. That's a different issue. It's for things like a warrant is granted for the data on X device, but X device is encrypted and the warrant is effectively useless at getting the data. What the feds wanted was for someone like Apple to have the equivalent of an override code so that, when presented with a warrant for X device, they could be compelled to provide the override code for that device.

The downside is if a backdoor exists, bad actors will also get it, and given Apple's reliance on China it's pretty obvious they would gain access to it. Then it just becomes a matter of resources to decrypt anything.

In that regard our government has shown a proclivity for watching everything it can. I doubt it would stay as just getting a warrant and then looking at stuff. There seems to be little they are not willing to do in the name of "national security".

 

[rosejm]

KLB's got it right.

In theory, the warrant would be needed. But we don't live in theoretical land.

In reality, the baddies can figure it out
- remember DVD encryption?

.gov skips right around that too "for National Security"
- have we really forgotten Snowden already? they didn't stop what they were doing...

 

[Keith_Indy]

Anyone else remember the kerfluffle over PGP in the 90's??

This is same song, different singer...

 

[phylodog]

"According to Wray and other law enforcers, tech companies should be able to build “backdoors” into their encryption that preserves privacy, while allowing for access when necessary. That, they say, strikes the proper balance between data security and national security."

Oh look, the scumbags have chosen to redefine the word privacy.

****ing idiots

 

[BehindBlueI's]

In that regard our government has shown a proclivity for watching everything it can. I doubt it would stay as just getting a warrant and then looking at stuff. There seems to be little they are not willing to do in the name of "national security".

Like I said, that's a different issue. Related, but different. Any tool can be misused, however if the tool doesn't exist it can not be used when appropriate, either.

I can understand the concerns on both sides. That said, I think the hyperbole is getting a bit thick in the thread. It's INGO so it has to be treason, socialism, or liberalism destroying everything but as a quick reminder:

“We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements they will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.” - Donald Trump

 

[buckwacker]

Like I said, that's a different issue. Related, but different. Any tool can be misused, however if the tool doesn't exist it can not be used when appropriate, either.

I can understand the concerns on both sides. That said, I think the hyperbole is getting a bit thick in the thread. It's INGO so it has to be treason, socialism, or liberalism destroying everything but as a quick reminder:

“We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements they will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW! MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.” - Donald Trump

It would be safer for freedom if these companies supplied the data demanded in the warrant on a case by case basis rather than hand .gov the keys to the whole encrypted kingdom. We've already seen what they do when they have the keys.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

It would be safer for freedom if these companies supplied the data demanded in the warrant on a case by case basis rather than hand .gov the keys to the whole encrypted kingdom. We've already seen what they do when they have the keys.

The downside is if a backdoor exists, bad actors will also get it, and given Apple's reliance on China it's pretty obvious they would gain access to it. Then it just becomes a matter of resources to decrypt anything.

A backdoor either exists or it doesn't, and once it exists will be stolen or reverse engineered by any state actor with the resources to do so. The encryption/decryption arms race is pretty binary (literally and figuratively).

 

[buckwacker]

A backdoor either exists or it doesn't, and once it exists will be stolen or reverse engineered by any state actor with the resources to do so. The encryption/decryption arms race is pretty binary (literally and figuratively).

I guess I always assumed companies developing encryption technology retained the ability or "keys" to unencrypt data on their systems. I didn't think that was the definition of a backdoor.