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FBI Gripes "We Can't Read Everyone's Secrets" (reuters.com)
New submitter rdukb writes: FBI Director James Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee that investigators still can't access the phone contents of one of the San Bernadino killers. He went on to argue that the phenomenon of communications "going dark" due to more sophisticated technology and wider use of encryption is "overwhelmingly affecting" law enforcement operations, including, not only the San Bernadino murders, but also investigations into other murders, car accidents, drug trafficking and the proliferation of child pornography. This might increase pressure on Apple to loosen the backdoor restrictions. Will the industry relent and allow Government access to data from these devices?
And even if the current crop of voters *did* learn their lesson (which they did not), the next generation has not learned it, and will make the same mistakes all over again.
I don't think the next generation will side with law enforcement. What did the police ever do for them besides hassle them, give them traffic tickets, and threaten to raid their parties? We have the lowest crime in decades and safest highways ever. Law enforcement is generally not needed and increasingly feared by regular people.
The people who like law enforcement are 55+ and remember trying to raise a family during the crime wave times of 1970-1990.
The idea, I imagine they believe, is that when you have to go to suffficient lengths to keep your data confidential, you will actually draw even *more* attention in the process, and even if you are not guilty of anything in particular, may find yourself more heavily scrutinized by the powers that be than the average individual.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
What I think is more interesting is that even *IF* the government could be trusted, it would still be a bad idea to give them unfettered access, because if they can read your confidential data, however benign they may claim their intentions to be, then so can somebody with less benevolent motivations. The net result is that instead of making things easier for law enforcement, it will actually made things harder because law enforcement would then be further burdened with trying to also protect those who are innocent from predatory criminals who are exploiting the weaker security that would be made mandatory.
Obviously if you don't trust the government in the first place, this is clearly a bad idea.... but it is interesting, I think, to note that even if the government *COULD* be trusted, it still works out to an overall bad idea, with a net negative benefit for absolutely everyone, both the people *AND* the government. The only ones who would really come out ahead are the ones who disregard the law.
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
Comey's message:
- Warrants are too hard;
- Due Process is too hard;
- Privacy is too hard;
- Habeas Corpus is too hard;
- Miranda warnings are too hard;
- Encryption is too hard;
- Court cases are too hard;
- Evidence is too hard;
- Probable Cause is too hard;
- Judges are too hard;
- Jurisdiction is too hard;
- Investigation is too hard;
Etc.
Damn, law enforcement is hard!
My response? My grandparents were farmers in the Dirty Thirties. That was hard. Hard enough to destroy good families who didn't deserve to be tested that way. You don't know hard. Do your job and stop trying to skate along looking for an easy life with high pay and no accountability. You can steal my privacy the day you can steal my wallet. And you can't steal my wallet!
I don't think the next generation will side with law enforcement. What did the police ever do for them besides hassle them, give them traffic tickets, and threaten to raid their parties? We have the lowest crime in decades and safest highways ever. Law enforcement is generally not needed and increasingly feared by regular people.
This is a really good point. The police are losing the hearts and minds and seem content to let it drift away. The biggest threat to the rule of law is the lack of buy-in from the people.
As you say, when I was a kid it was dangerous to go out at night. Violent crime was a lot more common and the police were the good guys (mostly) there to protect and serve. We used to have a local cops visit the school and everyone knew them by first name.
Nowadays I feel free to walk the streets any time of night, I sleep with my front door open, I never lock my car, we live in the the safest and most prosperous times. Yet my experience of the Police is some jerks who wants to punish me for the most ridiculously trivial things.
The cops need a PR makeover, get back into the community as part of the community, as more social oriented workers than para-military bully boys.