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Why Governments Lie About Encryption Backdoors (vortex.com)

Posted by timothy on from the their-lips-are-moving dept.

Lauren Weinstein says there are smart people in government, "who fully understand the technical realities of modern strong encryption systems and how backdoors would catastrophically weaken them," but asks So why do they continue to argue for these backdoor mechanisms, now more loudly than ever? The answer appears to be that they're lying to us. Or if lying seems like too strong a word, we could alternatively say they're being 'incredibly disingenuous' in their arguments. You don't need to be a computer scientist to follow the logic of how we reach this unfortunate and frankly disheartening determination regarding governments' invocation of terrorism as an excuse for demanding crypto backdoors for authorities' use.

14 of 247 comments (clear)

  1. Lie? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't understand why people believe a single word from the (US) government. Every time, on nearly every topic but especially security / military, what they say turns out to be not true.

    1. Re:Lie? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The SOLE reason governments (aka: not you, but the puppet masters you sheeple put into office) want backdoors and crypto bans is NOT because terrists (aka: murderers, killers, criminals, thugs), IN FACT all of them have NO real impact, look upi death rates by cause.... but because governments around the world are SCARED SHITLESS that in this new CONNECTED world where people are aware of each other and TALKING with each other and sharing ideas and solutions and futures..... that the PEOPLES OF THE WORLD are now WAKING UP and realizing that governments, especially the crony thieves of old, are UNNECESSARY.
      To put it quite frankly, the US GOVT, and every other one, is AFRAID of losing their power and being REPLACED by actual effective legitimate non-corrupt totally open entities that serve ONLY the people, NOT THEMSELVES.
      Do you have any FUCKING idea what kind of FALL FROM POWER and change that represents to these dynasties of elites?
      So they are now trying to INVADE *your* PRIVATE communications so that they can see WHAT YOU'RE THINKING in that regard, and then MANIPULATE all of what you see, hear, read, and disintermediate your actions, steer markets, and all their old tricks.... SO THAT THE STAY IN POWER, AND TAKE MORE POWER AND RIGHTS FROM YOU.
      Make NO mistake, this has nothing to do with anything but THEM and them alone.
      WAKE UP WORLD... think about it... you'll realize there are more Springs needed than just the Arab Spring, fall of Berlin Wall, etc... the ones for and by you right at home.

    2. Re:Lie? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Though Corporations are just as evil, they don't currently have the ability to TAX you for things you don't need or want, nor JAIL you for whatever "laws" they choose to write and (selectively) enforce.
      Also note that corporations are a form of VOLUNTARY association, you don't have to take part if you don't want.
      Though they can get big enough to influence you in bad ways, there are generally alternatives in the marketplace.

    3. Re:Lie? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      best wishes on finding your one true market

      where buyers have complete information, act rationally, and have a near-infinity of choices to
      weigh

      where every single transaction not only meets the perfect optimum for both parties, but further
      informs the market through the magic of price-setting

    4. Re:Lie? by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Are you kidding? The only reason why they didn't claim that power yet is that it's simply more cost effective to offload that shit onto governments.

      It's like having colonies. We realized that it's more cost effective and less of a hassle to simply put puppets in control and prop them up while at the same time keeping them fully dependent on our money. That way you can have your cake and eat it too, you can still have full control over your colonies, their raw materials and what they produce for you, while at the same time having no expenses for keeping it under control.

      Same with corporations and countries.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  2. They got used to it by spire3661 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The government simply got used to being able to see everything at all times. Now that we can create blind spots, they are paranoid and lashing out.

    --
    Good-bye
  3. it's not the smart people, it's the PHB by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Because the smart people don't drive the commentary, they just stand there in the background face-palming them selves.

    Honestly government isn't any different from enterprise:

    The Techs & Scientists give management a clear answer on a subject, stipulating all the factors and issues with a stance that the boss is taking, providing alternate approaches & data that shows what they want is irrelevant anyway.

    The PHB doesn't like what he's hearing so just goes out and says what he thinks, regardless of the facts. "Well that's what I've promised the client, so you'll have to deliver"

    Do you think that politicians & leaders in the "security" services are any different ?

    1. Re:it's not the smart people, it's the PHB by gtall · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Bingo, too bad you posted as an AC. Most people think of technology as FM, Fucking Magic. Most people in policy positions of government are no different because they come from the ranks of most people. They do not believe someone telling them something cannot be done because they've "consumed" too many TV shows that tell them technology is FM. Those crazy scientists and engineers are always pulling someone's nuts out of the fire at the last minute when the previous 3/4 of the show convinced them it those nuts are going fry.

      The policy makers still come from the ranks of most people. Ever listen to most people calling on CSPANs morning callin show? They are nuts. Few are able to think logically much less rationally. They believe Jews control the world, WTC was an inside job, the moon landing was faked, there's a shadow government, Obama is a Muslim. Expect this lot to somehow come up with sensible policies is like asking for square eggs.

      The rank and file in the government, for the most part not the policy makers, are more or less normal, can think logically and rationally, many have advanced degrees so the nutjobs got weeded out. The policy makers were mostly elected or rose to their position by stepping on qualified people to make themselves look better. They are mostly firm believers in FM because they want to believe in FM. The fact that their reasoning is circular is only reinforcing their beliefs to themselves.

    2. Re:it's not the smart people, it's the PHB by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The bible containing proof that god exists is like Harry Potter containing proof that magic exists.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  4. Focused on attack instead of defense. by dweller_below · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Part of the problem is that many believe that we can attack our way to security. They are confused about the fundamental nature of attack and defense when applied to the internet. They don't understand the combination of global connectivity and automation. They don't understand that any action of internet attack or defense has unintended consequences.

    In the old days, you could attack one thing. You could defend one thing. But, that doesn't map well to the internet. Now, we all talk to each other. We all use the same methods of defense. When one actor attacks another, the attack is exposed, analyzed, and re-used. Now, when somebody attacks, they increase the cost of defense for everybody. When somebody comes up with improved defense, we all learn how to increase the cost of attack for everybody.

    For over a decade, several branches of the US government have focused almost all their energy on attacking others across the internet. The result is an internet where compromise and breach are daily events. Somehow, our protectors don't see that they are crafting the tools of our demise and handing them to our enemies. If we are honest, we are more to blame for the great compromise at the OPM than our attackers. If we had spent the last decade on creating and encouraging defense, then breach would be difficult and rare.

    Now, our governments are blindly following the tradition of attack. They wish to attack the protocols we use to determine identity and create security. They don't see or care that everybody else will do likewise. They don't see the great devastation that will follow.

  5. Ban Encryption & Guns, so ... by BoRegardless · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Then only criminals will have guns and encryption.

    The logic is absolutely inescapable with these scenarios: The US government is working with criminals and will thus help them to succeed.

    Criminal gangs can get their hands on various encryption programs. Backdoors on hardware won't make a damn worth of difference.

  6. Since the failure of the Vietnam war by Curlsman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The late Ben Bradlee of the Washington Post has recalled:
    "I guess it started for me with Vietnam, when the establishment felt it had to lie to justify a policy that, as it turned out, was never going to work ... [documented] hidden away in the Pentagon Papers..."
    https://www.washingtonpost.com...

    It seems to me we (the electorate) keep sending the people who are best at it, because they keep telling us what we want to hear, back in.

  7. Because to work in government... by Jester998 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Because to work in government, the primary qualification you need is to be a complete psychopath.

  8. Bill of RIghts built on distrust of government by Tony+Isaac · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The Bill of Rights recognizes that the government needs to be kept at arm's length, to be limited in its power. In the last few decades, we've been slowly giving more and more power to the government, sometimes in the name of "national security," (Patriot Act) sometimes in the name of "fairness for all" (Affordable Care Act). We've been taught to let the friendly folks at Washington take care of us. Now we're starting to see the dark side again. The government is saying, "Trust us with your data!"--either when they take it secretly (NSA/Snowden) or when they demand it publicly (backdoors). Maybe it's time for a digital Bill of Rights. The problem is, the government isn't just going to sit down and let go of the power they already have.