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posted by martyb on Sunday December 15 2019, @06:15PM   Printer-friendly
from the task-the-NSA-with-making-it dept.

Senate Judiciary Committee Interrogates Apple, Facebook About Crypto

In a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, while their counterparts in the House were busy with articles of impeachment, senators questioned New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance, University of Texas Professor Matt Tait, and experts from Apple and Facebook over the issue of gaining legal access to data in encrypted devices and messages. And committee chairman Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) warned the representatives of the tech companies, "You're gonna find a way to do this or we're going to do it for you."

The hearing, entitled "Encryption and Lawful Access: Evaluating Benefits and Risks to Public Safety and Privacy," was very heavy on the public safety with a few passing words about privacy. Graham said that he appreciated "the fact that people cannot hack into my phone, listen to my phone calls, follow the messages, the texts that I receive. I think all of us want devices that protect our privacy." However, he said, "no American should want a device that is a safe haven for criminality," citing "encrypted apps that child molesters use" as an example.

"When they get a warrant or court order, I want the government to be able to look and find all relevant information," Graham declared. "In American law there is no place that's immune from inquiry if criminality is involved... I'm not about to create a safe haven for criminals where they can plan their misdeeds and store information in a place that law enforcement can never access it."


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  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 15 2019, @06:38PM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 15 2019, @06:38PM (#932438)

    No need to, Senator, it's already been done and you can't undo it. Now get back to your afternoon nap.

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  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by evilcam on Monday December 16 2019, @03:14AM (2 children)

    by evilcam (3239) Subscriber Badge on Monday December 16 2019, @03:14AM (#932665)

    A couple of other quotes from Lindsey Graham recently, on the impending impeachment trial:

    "This thing will come to the Senate, and it will die quickly, and I will do everything I can to make it die quickly"

    "I am trying to give a pretty clear signal I have made up my mind. I'm not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here"

    You sound really committed to stopping criminals, Senator...

    • (Score: 3, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Monday December 16 2019, @06:49PM

      by DeathMonkey (1380) on Monday December 16 2019, @06:49PM (#932953) Journal

      Vs 1999 Lindsey Graham:

      You don’t even have to be convicted of a crime to lose your job in this constitutional republic if this body determines that your conduct as a public official is clearly out of bounds in your role, Impeachment is not about punishment. Impeachment is about cleansing the office. Impeachment is about restoring honor and integrity to the office.”

      What changed Mr. Graham?

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Monday December 16 2019, @08:39PM

      by DeathMonkey (1380) on Monday December 16 2019, @08:39PM (#933000) Journal

      An even better one!

      “I have a duty far greater than just getting to the next election. Members of the Senate have said, ‘I understand everything there is about this case, and I won’t vote to impeach the president.’ Please allow the facts to do the talking…. Don’t decide the case before the case’s end." - Sen. Lindsey Graham, 1998