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In UK, Two Convicted of Refusing To Decrypt Data

Posted by kdawson on from the no-pleading-the-fifth dept.

ACKyushu clues us to recent news out of the UK, where two people have been successfully prosecuted for refusing to provide authorities with their encryption keys, resulting in landmark convictions that may have carried jail sentences of up to five years. There is uncertainty in that the names of the people convicted were not released; and without those names, the Crown Prosecution Service said it was unable to track down details of the cases. "Failure to comply with a section 49 notice carries a sentence of up to two years jail plus fines. Failure to comply during a national security investigation carries up to five years jail. ... Of the 15 individuals served, 11 did not comply with the notices. Of the 11, seven were charged and two convicted. Sir Christopher [Rose, the government's Chief Surveillance Commissioner] did not report whether prosecutions failed or are pending against the five charged but not convicted in the period covered by his report."

3 of 554 comments (clear)

  1. Re:That's rich by pbhj · · Score: 0, Troll

    Yeah those bastards, trying to stop children from being abused, people from being battered and the general populus from being blown up. What are they thinking.

    I wonder in how many of the cases the guys at GCHQ could crack the encryption but weren't allowed to let on.

  2. The time has come... by distantbody · · Score: 1, Troll

    To NUKE the place from orbit!!!

  3. Re:The logic is obvious by roggg · · Score: 0, Troll

    The union of the sets "Animal rights activist" and "Terrorist" is not empty.

    Union doesn't mean what you think it means.