

If Cops Don't Know What You Encrypted, They Can't Make You Decrypt It - finnw
http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/02/24/two-cases-lessons-if-cops-dont-know-what-you-encrypted-they-cant-make-you-decrypt-it/

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david_shaw
While I agree with this ruling in terms of privacy protection and right
against self-incrimination, I believe that this effectively means that, for
example, all TrueCrypt containers can never be forcibly decrypted.

For example: if you have 13_year_old_girl.jpg.pgp, it could be reasonably
argued that the content of the encrypted file is "known," and decryption can
be forced. If, however, you have a TrueCrypt partition called "images," there
is plausible deniability due to the very nature of a TrueCrypt container - so
everything within would be considered protected.

It's an interesting case, with serious ramifications - for example, if a
hacker stole source code and put it in a TrueCrypt container and was
subsequently raided, it would be significantly harder to prosecute without
incriminating evidence.

~~~
nextparadigms
I think the premise "if they have no clue what's on my HDD, then they have no
right to force me to decrypt it" is a good one. Anything else is an invitation
for abuse.

It's the same with police car searches. You have the right to refuse a search,
if they don't have probable cause, because even you might not know if there is
something in there that could get you arrested. If that works for car
searches, I think it should work just the same for encryption.

This is a good article on it:

[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-morgan/5-reasons-you-
sho...](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-morgan/5-reasons-you-should-
neve_b_1292554.html)

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DanBC
In England we have Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) :

(<http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2000/23/contents_>

([http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulation_of_Investigatory_Pow...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulation_of_Investigatory_Powers_Act_2000))

And does this apply to people crossing borders?

([https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/05/protecting-yourself-
su...](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/05/protecting-yourself-
suspicionless-searches-while-t))

