FBI Director: If Apple and Google Won't Decrypt Phones, We'll Force Them To

The FBI seem to be frustrated that Apple and Google, in response to consumer demand will encrypt all data on their phones by default.

motherboard.vice.com...

FBI Director: If Apple and Google Won't Decrypt Phones, We'll Force Them To

Everyone is stoked that the latest versions of iOS and Android will (finally) encrypt all the information on your smartphone by default. Except, of course, the FBI: Today, its director spent an hour attacking the companies and the very idea of encryption, even suggesting that Congress should pass a law banning the practice of default encryption.

It's of course no secret that James Comey and the FBI hate the prospect of "going dark," the idea that law enforcement simply doesn't have the technical capability to track criminals (and the average person) because of all those goddamn apps, encryption, wifi network switching, and different carriers.

And this

"Encryption isn’t just a technical feature; it’s a marketing pitch … it’s the equivalent of a closet that can’t be opened. A safe that can’t be cracked. And my question is, at what cost?" Comey said. "Both companies [Apple and Google] are run by good people, responding to what they perceive is a market demand. But the place they are leading us is one we shouldn’t go to without careful thought and debate."

Now I'm kind of confused. I thought the FBI and NSA were there to protect the 'American way of life', and what is more American than following the dictates of the free market. Are the FBI really so asinine as to refer to those they wish to get data from as 'the bad guys', and who are the 'bad guys anyway'?

I also wonder if this is a kind of storm in a teacup, and whether the FBI and NSA already have ways of breaking this encryption, and/or, have Google and Apple already handed them back door keys to this data, and it's all a game of hush hush?

Force them to, eh?

We'll just see about that.

a reply to: cuckooold

the only thing i can think that is more American than the free market.

Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

a reply to: cuckooold

Preinstalled or not, I will live my digital life encrypted.

The FBI is bluffing and bullying IMO. There are already encryption issues and ways to deal with them. Encryption requires keys and if the FBI has sufficient reason to suspect an encrypted device contains anything illegal they can get a judge to issue a contempt charge on the owner, keeping that person in jail until they give up that key.

...............When I was in Fiji last month, moored off the Island I was on, was a yacht owned by one of the google guys...

the thing was large enough that it had a helicopter on it with full room for rotor turn and take off....

It wasnt sitting on top of the yacht it was "parked" in the yacht on an overhang.....the electronics coming off of this ship ,yes i call it a ship, look like it could have shut down friggin NORAD..

My point is this was a toy for these guys, this company and the people they work with INCLUDING the government , have a LOT of money.....

Google has the govs nuts in a sling because they are in every crook and crevasse across the world....

I would like to see them try to MAKE them do anything......

"orly? youre going to make us? Congrats you just lost all ability to to track anyone that might be on any systems we work with, oh and by the way, all the internet traffic you like to keep tabs on? Yeah thats not gonna happen anymore, your move"

Ever wonder why they are working so hard to convince everyone that this is a problem for them?

Clearly it isn't... I'm living proof, or my phone is.

a reply to: cuckooold

Did you see the interview on 60 minutes with the FBI director? He almost seemed libertarian. almost

He fought bush jr on some issues I was kind of surprised to hear that

originally posted by: cuckooold
The FBI seem to be frustrated that Apple and Google, in response to consumer demand will encrypt all data on their phones by default.

motherboard.vice.com...

FBI Director: If Apple and Google Won't Decrypt Phones, We'll Force Them To

Everyone is stoked that the latest versions of iOS and Android will (finally) encrypt all the information on your smartphone by default. Except, of course, the FBI: Today, its director spent an hour attacking the companies and the very idea of encryption, even suggesting that Congress should pass a law banning the practice of default encryption.

It's of course no secret that James Comey and the FBI hate the prospect of "going dark," the idea that law enforcement simply doesn't have the technical capability to track criminals (and the average person) because of all those goddamn apps, encryption, wifi network switching, and different carriers.

And this

"Encryption isn’t just a technical feature; it’s a marketing pitch … it’s the equivalent of a closet that can’t be opened. A safe that can’t be cracked. And my question is, at what cost?" Comey said. "Both companies [Apple and Google] are run by good people, responding to what they perceive is a market demand. But the place they are leading us is one we shouldn’t go to without careful thought and debate."

Now I'm kind of confused. I thought the FBI and NSA were there to protect the 'American way of life', and what is more American than following the dictates of the free market. Are the FBI really so asinine as to refer to those they wish to get data from as 'the bad guys', and who are the 'bad guys anyway'?

I also wonder if this is a kind of storm in a teacup, and whether the FBI and NSA already have ways of breaking this encryption, and/or, have Google and Apple already handed them back door keys to this data, and it's all a game of hush hush?

The crimes of the few outweigh the privacy of the many.

Maybe the 3 letter agencies should try doing some real work instead of targeting Americans

a reply to: cuckooold

Maybe mr butthurt should just stay off the internet and cut down on his breathing. As long as there is facebook (FB) and instagram (I) and idiots posting their lives on there the FBI should be happy.....we want our encryption so we should have our encryption

Forget Ebola, ISIS and evil terrorists, the alphabet agencies of America are the biggest threat to our continued existence and the philosophy of freedom.

What say you NSA?

**crickets** hmmm, that's interesting.

a reply to: cuckooold

Are the FBI really so asinine as to refer to those they wish to get data from as 'the bad guys', and who are the 'bad guys anyway'?

An arbitrary question with an arbitrary answer these days. If it was simply used to track violent criminals, murderers and the like, then fine, but it's not. The alphabet agencies have shown they can't be trusted in the least, for even the average day citizen with nothing to hide. Because they have overstepped their bounds is the reason for market demand, in short, they have caused the problem they claim is a problem.

If they hadn't been so eager to read everyone's emails, text messages, mailing lists, et al., then everyday normal people, wouldn't even see this as an issue. But they do, the authorities have overstepped their bounds, and now they have to deal with the consequences. Tough sh##.

If for some reason some really bad, evil people or entity manages to cause havoc, its their fault. And its better to live in a world with the possibility of something bad happening every once in a while, then live in a world where something bad is happening everyday by the people who are supposed to protect you.

a reply to: boncho

/me applauds boncho.

Very well said, dude.

Very well said.

Encrypt the world. Everyone should learn some PGP, maybe some blowfish for starters... Encrypt everything.

They are making us believe they don't know how to overcome this encryption hurdle, a strategy to give us confidence that our privacy is restored. Google, the FBI and other alphabet agencies have shown us their true colors and intentions.

They lied and they lie.

Anything is hackable or crackable. This is just for show.

originally posted by: bitsforbytes
They are making us believe they don't know how to overcome this encryption hurdle, a strategy to give us confidence that our privacy is restored. Google, the FBI and other alphabet agencies have shown us their true colors and intentions.

They lied and they lie.

Anything is hackable or crackable. This is just for show.

I agree.

It's controlled opposition.

I say they have all the tools necessary.

Including people in the design phases.

They can't fool everybody this election, but they sure are trying to.