Written by: NiRA
The FBI director has banged Apple & Google for offering their users encryption technology that protects users’ privacy. “Deeply concerned” James Comey wants to push on Congress to “fix” laws to make sure that the police can still access private data.
James warned:-
“It’s the equivalent of a closet that can’t be opened. A safe that can’t be cracked,” Comey, speaking at the Brookings Institute in Washington DC, referred to the encryption technology calling the new service “a marketing pitch.”
“But it will have very serious consequences for law enforcement and national security agencies at all levels.”
Apple has recently launched its latest version of Mac OS X operating system for desktop and laptop computers, urging its users to use FileVault disk encryption technology to keep their data safe and secure. This tool will also stop NSA or FBI from getting access to phones and computers.
Google mentioned that it wanted to follow suit with its Android operating system and encryption will be enabled by default.
If a user does not refuse the encryption offer, his or her computer or phone will be locked
This means that the companies will not be able to unlock a phone or a hard drive to reveal photos, documents, e-mail or recordings stored inside the device.
James said:-
“Criminals and terrorists would like nothing more than for us to miss out,”
James said, adding that encrypted information on
“A bad guy’s phone has the potential to create a black hole for law enforcement.”
“Justice may be denied because of a locked phone or an encrypted hard drive,”
Though law enforcements would still be capable to intercept conversations, it will be impossible to access call data, contacts, photos and emails.
James believes that encryption threatens to lead all of us to a very dark place, whereas the companies argue that it is a compulsory option which will protect users from unlawful surveillance and private data access.
Edward Snowden’s exposures have triggered the US tech companies to find better protection for personal information.
James acknowledged:-
“The post-Snowden pendulum has swung too far in one direction—in a direction of fear and mistrust.”
He said:-
“Some believe that the FBI has these phenomenal capabilities to access any information at any time—that we can get what we want, when we want it, by flipping some sort of switch,”
“It may be true in the movies or on TV. It is simply not the case in real life.”
The director of FBI would like to see changes being made to the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA, enacted 20 years ago—a lifetime in the internet age.
Companies like Apple and Google, should be necessitated to make a lawful intercept abilities for law enforcements.
James says:-
“We aren’t seeking to expand our authority to intercept communications,” he said. “We are struggling to keep up with changing technology and to maintain our ability to actually collect the communications we are authorized to intercept.”
CALEA only include landline and cellphone companies, broadband services or internet phone services, which connect with traditional phones.
James stated:-
“We also need a regulatory or legislative fix”
“So that all communication service providers are held to the same standard”
James’s speech was not the first time when he criticized Apple and Google for encrypting smartphones. Back in September, he told reporters in Washington that the encrypting technology offered by the companies, which is powering about 95 percent of the smart phones in the Unites States of America, severely hinder law enforcement operations.
Links: Protect your PC and mobile devices from hackers & governments and surf anonymously
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Source:
http://rt.com/usa/197132-fbi-apple-google-privacy/
screw james, i don’t want the FBI/NSA and other government corporations spying on my personal life… if its unlawful, why the hell are they allowed to participate in the operation… they’re humans aswell, shouldn’t they be brought to justice well technically injustice but what ever
The FBI/NSA they are gona make a mistake they will never forget by taking the data from Google and Apple (Yea they are gona take it with a worrenty) but people will turn vs them, Anonymous will strike with bigger power.
I completely agree with you! Why should they get power to hide but we don’t, and most people accept it and move on! Privacy is the few thing me have left! We should keep it that way!
Dude I agree it’s bullshit
It seems fair at some level, because feds having no way of getting some info the big bad guys couldn’t get caught, only small dogs, but the thing is, that from experience, we know that, that is no the only use they will give to that kind of acces.
Thats a good thing, maybe now the government will understand not to fuck with the people.
The hell they are nsa and fbi and the whole u.s. Government are the terrorist. They just want to control. greed . The end is near , for the wicked system. Jehovah is here. Christ is reigning the new kingdom.
They’re fighting an eternal uphill battle, they need to seek alternative options before it’s much too late.
Good job Apple and Google!!
I understand this may be for “security” reasons, but terrorists don’t really have new Mac books do they? You can pick off anything from anyone’s computer pretty simple with free software anyways, so how can’t the FBI? Makes no sense really
Please tell me your not so naive to think they can’t get they’re hands on new equipment? :/
Seriously? Who do you think terrorist are? 2nd graders? It’s not that hard to get a new apple or pc or android you daft oaf.
My computer hard drives are already encrypted. I have nothing to hide aside from personal information like login accounts and so forth to my bank accounts and other sensitive information I do not want just anyone having access to.
I like the idea of phones being encrypted because police tend to abuse that power quite often. At the same time however, I have also seen it lead to a child predator being caught. So yes, I believe that something should be in place that allows law enforcement officials into the phone, but there needs to be very strict guidelines that would allow them access. I am talking, no letting them in because they think there “might” be something on the phone, and i mean, they know something is on the phone for one reason and another and it is a smoking gun kinda thing.
Exactly what I was thinking. Well said
If the gov’t is allowed to hide their stuff and they don’t allow the public, it must be that the gov’t are criminals. “They have something to hide”. Well, I’m always proud of companies that don’t give a shit what the government thinks and do what the people need. Not only they’ll sell better, but they’re safer and ppl actually still have something to trust. After all, who can still trust ANY government!
Actually, the headline is completely wrong…
“Director of FBI Wants To Encrypt User’s Data Of Apple & Google”
NO… they want to Decrypt it… it is already encrypted and that’s exactly why they are upset!
apple good and google bad?
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Running Cyanogenmod… my phone was encrypted 3 days after i got it… you should all do the same 😀
It’s definitely better without them being able to access our stuff. Having SOME privacy somewhere shouldn’t be that bad. If the gov’t is allowed to hide and encrypt their stuff, we should be allowed to do it too.