UK Government Wants Private Encryption Keys

An anonymous reader writes "Businesses and individuals in Britain may soon have to give their encryption keys to the police or face imprisonment. The UK government has said it will bring in the new powers to address a rise in the use of encryption by criminals and terrorists." From the article: "Some security experts are concerned that the plan could criminalise innocent people and drive businesses out of the UK. But the Home Office, which has just launched a consultation process, says the powers contained in Part 3 are needed to combat an increased use of encryption by criminals, paedophiles, and terrorists. 'The use of encryption is... proliferating,' Liam Byrne, Home Office minister of state told Parliament last week. 'Encryption products are more widely available and are integrated as security features in standard operating systems, so the Government has concluded that it is now right to implement the provisions of Part 3 of RIPA... which is not presently in force.'"

Comments

Eh?

[gowen]

If I've incriminating documents in a safe, the police are going to ask for the key. If they don't get it, they're going to break in, and I'll be arrested for obstruction of justice. I don't recall everyone being up in arms about the police, having obtained the proper warrants, coming into my house and breaking into my safe.

Besides the fact that this involves computers, why is this different?