Lawmakers set to unveil bill for encryption commission
http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/266354-lawmakers-set-to-introduce-encryption-commission-bill
A bipartisan pair of lawmakers is set to introduce legislation
that would establish a national commission to figure out how
police can get at encrypted data without endangering Americans'
privacy. "I do think this is one of the greatest challenges to
law enforcement that I have probably seen in my lifetime," said
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul
(R-Texas), a former federal prosecutor, during a conference call
Tuesday with reporters. The bill, which McCaul first discussed
in a December speech, is intended to cut through the heated
rhetoric that has defined the encryption debate in the wake of
the terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif. "What
we're trying to do is get that collaboration started," said Sen.
Mark Warner (D-Va.), who joined McCaul on the call and will
sponsor the upper chamber bill. "Let's get the experts in the
room.
- - -
As predicted. I understand U.S. authorities' fantasy desires to somehow
"safely" cripple encryption. Their motives are often quite laudable. But
math is math. And there is no middle ground on crypto backdoors. Either
they exist -- or not. If they exist, the entire communications security
ecosystem is fundamentally weakened and and puts all honest users at
enormous risk from illicit hacking (and authorities acting
unreasonably). Splitting up backdoor keys and putting them in the hands
of different entities that must "join forces" to open the backdoors does
not fundamentally change the equation. I have been enormously suspicious
of claims that the FBI and other U.S. agencies were backing off on this.
I've suspected all along it was largely a charm offensive to get what
they want in the end, by hook or by crook. Meanwhile, strong,
unencumbered crypto will remain available from non-U.S. entities
including independent third parties, a fact that U.S. backdoor
proponents only reluctantly acknowledge, if at all.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein ([email protected]): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Founder:
- Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
- PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://google.com/+LaurenWeinstein
Twitter: http://twitter.com/laurenweinstein
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com
I have consulted to Google, but I am not currently
doing so -- my opinions expressed here are mine alone.
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