The Same Old Encryption Debate Has a New Target: Facebook
Stop us if you've heard this one before: United States law enforcement officials want tech companies to undermine encrypted messaging protections. The latest salvo is a fresh spin, but the underlying intent remains the same. As does the fundamental danger it poses.
On Friday, Attorney General William Barr will present an open letter to Facebook and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, cosigned by British and Australian officials, asking the company not to implement end-to-end encryption protections across its messaging services as planned. The letter, first reported on and published by BuzzFeed News, comes in tandem with a Department of Justice Lawful Access Summit in Washington, DC, focused on child exploitation investigations and the role of tech companies in flagging content related to child sexual abuse—insights that strong encryption protections can curtail.
All of this probably sounds very familiar, including Mark Zuckerberg's stated willingness to go head to head with law enforcement if necessary to implement its encryption plans. And less than four years ago, Apple and the FBI faced off in a similar debate about whether the tech giant could be compelled to create a tool that would unlock one of the San Bernardino shooters' iPhones.
