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FBI Director Continues His Campaign Against Encryption
apexcp writes Following the announcements that Apple and Google would make full disk encryption the default option on their smartphones, FBI director James Comey has made encryption a key issue of his tenure. His blitz continues today with a speech that says encryption will hurt public safety.
The issue is the balance between public safety and personal privacy. Denying the citizen of any democracy the right to encryption of their personal communication is not an appropriate response to the perceived threat to public safety that same encryption would bring.
Quoth Schneier:
There never is any reason to remove a citizen's right to privacy except to extend the power of the state. You can argue the reasons for and against this, but historically, we've always found that more respect for individual rights contributes significantly to better governance.
Crumb's Corollary: Never bring a knife to a bun fight.
The long, long history of American jurisprudence has determined that your effects are materials held at home. Your smartphone travelling in your pocket as you go out in public, just like your wallet, is not an effect. Things on your person can be searched based upon probable cause without the need for a warrant.
Things on your person can be searched based upon probable cause without the need for a warrant.
I guess you're not aware of this year's Supreme Court decision, Riley vs. California, in which they determined that police require a warrant to search your phone. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06...
You aren't given rights. You are born with them. A government "giving" you a right is actually them ceasing to stop you from enjoying whatever right is in question.
Of course, we could always get back to basics and go with Might makes Right, because honestly, at the end of the day, it does. If those who disagree are no longer voicing opposition, then you have effectively won. This is doubly so when it comes to other people forcing their will onto others with violence.
Just saying something is not right doesn't really mean squat unless you are willing to back up your words and intervene.
I don't remember the Bush administration having much to say about encryption. I do remember Clinton trying to ban all non-escrowed encryption and put Clipper chips in everything, however.