
Priti Patel: “Facebook encryption threatens public safety” - hakmad
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-49919464
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hakmad
While I don't disagree that more and more criminals use encryption to hide
their activities, the 'Cloud Act' completely upsets the balance suggested by
Ms Patel:

'"Tech companies like Facebook have a responsibility to balance privacy with
the safety of the public," Ms Patel said in the open letter, which was also
signed by the US Attorney General William P Barr, Acting US Homeland Security
Secretary Kevin McAleenan and the Australian minister for Home Affairs Peter
Dutton.'

How are you going to ask companies like Facebook to give you faster access to
information _across international borders_ and still say 'Hey you should have
some privacy too'. It just seems blatantly dystopian. This is part of a
growing trend of governments that want back doors to social media in the name
of security and justice: Australia, the USA, and now the UK. That being said
HN, how do you propose governments deal with online criminal activity? A lot
of people here will criticise this and while that criticism is justified I
just wonder if there's an alternative solution to this problem.

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mytailorisrich
I think the correct balance already exists.

When you connect to your bank the transmission is encrypted but your bank has
the data available in cleartext.

When you use your smartphone to call someone or send a text the transmission
is encrypted over the air but your operator has access to the data in
cleartext, and there is in fact a system in place to duplicate traffic for
police eavesdropping. You have privacy, your bank/operator doesn't abuse data
they have, and the police is able to request access within the law.

This has existed for decades, it is accepted, it works.

The issue is that some tech companies (cough Facebook cough, but not only
them) have abused the access they have to data and shot their reputation in
the process, so now they are trying to salvage the situation by saying "Oh but
we now have E2E so you can still use our services"... No-one trusts anyone,
and that destroys the established balance between privacy and law
enforcement/national security.

