U.S. lawmakers are said to be giving up on their push for new encryption laws that would require companies like Apple to create software backdoors that allow the government to access our devices.
It’s thought the lack of White House support and Apple’s high-profile battle with the Justice Department, which was unable to force the company into providing an iPhone unlock, are some of the reasons why supporters are losing hope.
Following the San Bernardino shooting last December, lawmakers pledged to deliver new encryption laws that would provide law enforcement agencies with easy access to devices that could provide intelligence.
This backdoor would allow the FBI and other organizations to break into an iPhone or other smart device without a passcode. However, Apple and other tech giants are concerned that the backdoor could be exploited, allowing bad actors to access or data.
Apple publicly fought against the Justice Department’s request for an iPhone unlock, which the FBI needed to access a handset used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. The company received overwhelming support from fans, security experts, and other companies.
As a result, the lawmakers who are fighting for those new encryption laws are losing hope. “They’ve dropped anchor and taken down the sail,” former NSA and CIA director Michael Hayden told Bloomberg.
It’s thought draft legislation is now unlikely to be introduced this year, and even if it is, it would “stand no chance of advancing,” reports Bloomberg. “The short life of the push for legislation illustrates the intractable nature of the debate over digital surveillance and encryption.”
This news will be well-received by Apple, its Silicon Valley peers, and civil liberties groups, which believe weakening security isn’t just bad for users, but the government, too. But the battle almost certainly isn’t over yet.
The FBI and others warn that without greater access to our data, we can expect to see an increased number of terrorist attacks.
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
15 responses to “Apple winning as lawmakers give up on forced backdoors”
They’ll progress quickly on access to all the data they want should Trump move to the Whitehouse :-(
With luck, you won’t be proven wrong — thanks though for stopping by ;-)
That’s just how you don’t want it to work — a more accurate statement to represent your views…
I had a Gi Joe that would repeat the same sentence everytime we pulled on its cord! :) That being said, this society do need a public debate on the privacy issue and make laws that make sense and protect BOTH the public and the country against digital invasions! The fact that the lawmakers are withdrawing is not really a good sign, because they’ll be working in the dark again. This process needs visibility, transparency and some sort of expediency, otherwise people will start to forget about the hole issue that happened just a few weeks ago! Stay sharp!
Whatever makes you feel better ;-)
Wow… so bitter…
Just because you have a different >opinion< doesn't make you "correct", or give you a license for rudeness ;-)
Which defines your statements as >opinion< and not factual. You're certainly entitled to your opinions though ;-)
Whatever you want to believe is fine, your choice.
I believe that you believe ;-)
My opinions obviously differ from yours, you’ll not find a convert anytime soon ;-)
Just because you consider something as face, doesn’t mean it is. Hopefully someday you’ll differentiate between fact and opinion, something the rest of us already recognize.
Such a bitter little person you are :-(
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