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French Conservatives Push Law To Ban Strong Encryption (dailydot.com)

Posted by timothy on from the top-down-control dept.

Patrick O'Neill writes: The French parliament this week will examine a bill that would require tech manufacturers of computers, phones, and tablets to build backdoors into any encryption on the device. The anti-encryption bill is being presented by 18 conservative members of the National Assembly as part of a large "Digital Republic" bill. According to the article, The new French bill briefly praises encryption’s role in protecting user data but immediately pivots to criticizing the effects of strong encryption on state security forces. "France must take the initiative and force device manufacturers to take into consideration the imperative of access for law enforcement officers, under the control of a judge and only in the case of an investigation, to those devices," the legislation reads, according to a translation by Khalil Sehnaoui, a Middle-East security specialist and founder of Krypton Security. "The goal is to avoid that individual encryption systems delay the advancement of an investigation."

3 of 246 comments (clear)

  1. Funny, phoney war on encryption by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You know who else don't like strong encryption? The terrorists.

    You have to admit that the terrorists have already won. They've pwn your asses so completely that you're stabbing your own liberty like crazy.

  2. They know not what they do by stinerman · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The new French bill briefly praises encryption’s role in protecting user data but immediately pivots to criticizing the effects of strong encryption on state security forces.

    While water is great at quenching thirst, it also can kill a person if drawn into their lungs. Therefore, we demand that bottled water manufacturers make their water such that it can no longer drown someone.

  3. Re:Security is only as strong as its weakest door by Racemaniac · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I was thinking: sounds like a fair law, if then the state/police is fully responsible if their backdoor becomes public, and can be abused by others :). But then i think they'd not risk it, because they know the won't be able to keep their backdoor secret, and don't want to face the consequences :).