Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

US officials ponder ban of end-to-end encryption

Tsepz

Tsepz

macrumors 601
Original poster
Jan 24, 2013
4,891
4,699
Johannesburg, South Africa
Well now this makes for a rather interesting read and would probably affect a lot of the services we use on our smartphones pretty heavily.

Senior Trump administration officials want to ban the end-to-end encryption, according to a report by Politico on a National Security Council meeting that took place earlier this week. The encryption challenge, called “going dark”, was discussed with officials from key agencies, including FBI, Department of Justice, Commerce and State Departments. There was no final decision, but the report suggests the issue will not stay in the background for much longer.

Companies like Apple, Google and Facebook rely on end-to-end encryption of data where only users sending and receiving it can read it. However, that way terrorism, drug trafficking and child pornography cannot be clamped, officials claim.

The DOJ and FBI were quoted that catching criminals is a top priority, “even if watered-down encryption creates hacking risks”. They are backed by the IRS and Secret Service, but the Commerce and State Departments pointed out there are going to be economic and diplomatic consequences of mandating encryption “backdoors”.
Click to expand...
https://m.gsmarena.com/us_officials_discussing_ban_of_endtoend_encryption-news-37845.php

Interesting times ahead it seems, with all the worry about people’s data and privacy being all the rage these days...
 
If so, I would feel safer giving Zuckerberg (WhatsApp) my data than the government under the Trump administration.

There would be too much push back on this if Trump tried it. At least I hope there would be. I think the percentage of iPhone users who use iMessage who even know or care that their messages have end-to-end encryption is very small.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tig Bitties and Tsepz
So I am clueless when it come to encryption. When someone says end to end in messaging, does that mean it can not be spied on/hacked etc and read by anyone in any way? Not even the cell network/isp/law enforcement?
 
mclld said:
So I am clueless when it come to encryption. When someone says end to end in messaging, does that mean it can not be spied on/hacked etc and read by anyone in any way? Not even the cell network/isp/law enforcement?
Click to expand...
Yes, I'm pretty sure that's how it works. Obviously if they get a hold of your phone they can see the whole conversation, but it's encrypted end to end so only you and the person you're chatting with can read the messages.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that's how it works.
 
No wonder the government would love to do away with it. I would still be skeptical of the actually hardware companies that make the phones or the software companies would have some way of reading or seeing stuff
 
mclld said:
No wonder the government would love to do away with it. I would still be skeptical of the actually hardware companies that make the phones or the software companies would have some way of reading or seeing stuff
Click to expand...
Knowing Apple and how privacy concerned they are I don't think they'd read your messages with or without end-to-end encryption.
 
I thought Apple was bending to China as well as Google in regards to privacy etc. Seems like I remember reading somethiig about that awhile back but I might be wrong on that though
 
mclld said:
So I am clueless when it come to encryption. When someone says end to end in messaging, does that mean it can not be spied on/hacked etc and read by anyone in any way? Not even the cell network/isp/law enforcement?
Click to expand...

Say with iMessage, end-to-end encryption. No one, not even Apple can read your messages because Apple does not even keep the decryption keys.

I may be wrong on this part, but with the San Bernardino terrorist attack. I believe in the end after the DOJ/FBI (I even believed they took Apple to court) demanded Apple to let them into the dead terrorists iPhones, Apple could not because as I said above, they do not keep the decryption keys.

Also remember, SMS texts, are not protected at all.

Edit: I have been golfing and drinking beers all day, so I am not thinking completely straight. So if it comes up I am wrong, blame it on the beer! Haha.

:apple:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tsepz
SRLMJ23 said:
Say with iMessage, end-to-end encryption. No one, not even Apple can read your messages because Apple does not even keep the decryption keys.

I may be wrong on this part, but with the San Bernardino terrorist attack. I believe in the end after the DOJ/FBI (I even believed they took Apple to court) demanded Apple to let them into the dead terrorists iPhones, Apple could not because as I said above, they do not keep the decryption keys.

Also remember, SMS texts, are not protected at all.

Edit: I have been golfing and drinking beers all day, so I am not thinking completely straight. So if it comes up I am wrong, blame it on the beer! Haha.

:apple:
Click to expand...

Haha!

I believe you are right, the DOJ/FBI had to turn to a company that made hacking tools for iPhones instead.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SRLMJ23
SRLMJ23 said:
Say with iMessage, end-to-end encryption. No one, not even Apple can read your messages because Apple does not even keep the decryption keys.

I may be wrong on this part, but with the San Bernardino terrorist attack. I believe in the end after the DOJ/FBI (I even believed they took Apple to court) demanded Apple to let them into the dead terrorists iPhones, Apple could not because as I said above, they do not keep the decryption keys.

Also remember, SMS texts, are not protected at all.

Edit: I have been golfing and drinking beers all day, so I am not thinking completely straight. So if it comes up I am wrong, blame it on the beer! Haha.

:apple:
Click to expand...

Yes and only Apple can do this because they fully control the whole stack.
It’s why I’m all in on Apples ecosystems for life.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tsepz and SRLMJ23
If anything like this ever passes, that'll really put the lie to "representative government." Because I guarantee you that a majority of American citizens would personally vote against such a measure, anytime & anyplace.

It's always a sad state of affairs (though inevitable, perhaps, given human nature) that the institutions which people erect to protect them eventually turn around and enslave them.
 
Not surprising. Of course many will say "if you have nothing to hide why worry"
 
drinkingtea said:
If so, I would feel safer giving Zuckerberg (WhatsApp) my data than the government under the Trump administration.
Click to expand...

I see. But you would have been perfectly OK with this under the Obama Administration?

So I guess you think it is OK for the Government to violate someone’s privacy when it is someone you don’t agree with.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EspressoLove and jamezr
Breaking Good said:
I see. But you would have been perfectly OK with this under the Obama Administration?

So I guess you think it is OK for the Government to violate someone’s privacy when it is someone you don’t agree with.
Click to expand...
Nope. Wouldn’t be okay with any government administration violating my privacy.

And, also, I’m not even sure why you brought up Obama or assumed I’d be okay with this under his administration. Jumping to assumptions, I see.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back