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from the We-[want-to]-see-what-you-did-there dept.
FBI: End-to-End Encryption Is an Infectious Problem
Just in case there were any lingering doubts about U.S. law enforcement's stance on end-to-end encryption, which prevents information from being read by anyone but its intended recipient, FBI executive assistant director Amy Hess told the Wall Street Journal this week that its use "is a problem that infects law enforcement and the intelligence community more and more so every day."
The quote was published in a piece about efforts from the UK, Australia and India to undermine end-to-end encryption. All three countries have passed or proposed legislation that compels tech companies to supply certain information to government agencies. The laws vary in their specifics, including restrictions on to what information law enforcement can request access, but the gist is that they don't want any data to be completely inaccessible.
Related: FBI Chief Calls for National Talk Over Encryption vs. Safety
FBI Failed to Access 7,000 Encrypted Mobile Devices
DOJ: Strong Encryption That We Don't Have Access to is "Unreasonable"
Five Eyes Governments Get Even Tougher on Encryption
Apple Speaks Out Against Australian Anti-Encryption Law; Police Advised Not to Trigger Face ID
Australia Set to Pass Controversial Encryption Law
Split Key Cryptography is Back... Again – Why Government Back Doors Don't Work
(Score: 2, Interesting) by opinionated_science on Wednesday February 27 2019, @10:57PM (8 children)
We have reached peak idiocy. To get into positions of management, all that is required is to be a political animal.
Hence ,knowledge of maths, science and technology is optional.
The FBI may be brilliant law enforcement investigators, but no knowing the mathematics of encryption is tantamount to incompetence.
They don't have to *write* the algo's but they should be compelled to show they understand them.
Then again, congress is pathetic too. Dogma driven political parties has left us with elected story tellers.
No evidence of competence required, just tow the line...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday February 27 2019, @11:03PM
Everyone send a few Terabytes of encrypted gibberish and keep them busy for a few hundred years.
(Score: 3, Informative) by c0lo on Wednesday February 27 2019, @11:14PM (1 child)
You mean 'fall in line' (as in 'toe it') or do you really have the vision of the politicians pulling hard on an infinitely long geometrical abstraction?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 3, Funny) by fido_dogstoyevsky on Wednesday February 27 2019, @11:29PM
Not infinitely long, just a third of it - they will divide line's length by pi (ie 3.0).
It's NOT a conspiracy... it's a plot.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by driverless on Wednesday February 27 2019, @11:28PM
Naah, we're still on the way up. US politicians can get much, much more idiotic than they are today. Look at examples like Jacob Zuma, Narendra Modi, ... hmm, even with those world-class idiots available, it's actually not that far from what Trump's been up to. So maybe we're actually close to peak idiocy.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday February 27 2019, @11:43PM (1 child)
The NSA could be cracking assumed-to-be-safe encryption methods right now and it would take years for us to find out. They are also going to be all over quantum computers if they become practical.
FBI officials have been whining about encryption for years, while exploiting vulnerabilities, buying phone cracking equipment, running honeypots, etc. But it's starting to become ubiquitous and even the tech giants are putting end-to-end encryption in some services.
What might happen is that Congress could put "using encryption to conceal criminal activity" into the law books as a new federal crime. Or they could criminalize not giving up the keys. If those laws survive Constitutional scrutiny, then they don't have to ban encryption. They can just fuck you over for using it.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Thursday February 28 2019, @03:59PM
I like being modded a troll! Nice and warm under that bridge ;-)
The Founders understood very well how easy it was for a $GOVT to trap its people with law - that's why the 4th and 5th amndts are so important.
It's also why the government can't be trusted. Remember, all the levers of power are still in place, no matter who you vote for.
With the current political farce playing out, it still looks like the most valuable evidence is check stubs!!
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Thursday February 28 2019, @06:14AM
Then again, congress is pathetic too.
Don't blame congress. Most of them have been reelected more than once.
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 28 2019, @03:12PM
I would suggest they are not idiots. They know the math or atleast the implications of it. They have been trying to put the encryption genie back in the bottle since it was let out. They know that if they can make encryption require backdoors/masterkeys/etc, they either make it weak and useless for us or they make us criminals for using strong encryption. Its a win/win for them if they can convince Congress and the courts to play along. And no matter what, they will always have access to strong encryption for themselves, they are our betters, and must have these powers to protect us. </sarcasm>