Now the FBI is asking Congress to weaken iPhone and Android security

[techbeck]

FBI Director James Comey has been on a media tour lately, making an anti-encryption pitch to the public. Apple's new encryption standards, Comey has argued, are an unnecessary hurdle to law enforcement ? and the FBI needs an easy way to bypass them. Now Comey is bringing the argument straight to Congress, asking them to update a law to allow backdoors in smartphones.

 

The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA, was passed in 1994, and required telephone providers to make it possible for law enforcement to wiretap phones. Newer forms of communication aren't explicitly mentioned in the law, and Apple's new encryption standards don't leave room for any government access. Even if government officials ask for data, Apple says, the company can't comply. (The same is true for Android.) Comey is asking Congress to update CALEA so law-enforcement backdoors would be legally required, but that could be a protracted battle: the debate over what law enforcement should be able to access has been going on for decades now, and privacy advocates have pushed back against recent measures.

 

More....

http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/22/7039289/fbi-congress-apple-backdoors

[Quillz]

No thanks, the FBI can get a warrant if they want to access my data. (Not that it matters, not like the government bothers with warrants anymore, anyway.)

[WindowsRx]

the fbi is creepy.. by the way i saw what your qr said! :oP~~~~

[The Evil Overlord]

the fbi is creepy.. by the way i saw what your qr said! :oP~~~~

What does it say??

[WindowsRx]

What does it say??

If you use a QR code scanner you'll see!

[timster]

as if the FBI needs weaker security to gain access to either system.

[Krome]

The FBI already have access to all of that.  The issue is brought forth just for entertainment and to get some rating.

[Torolol]

the fbi is creepy..

the fact that fbi doesn't even feel the need to ask Microsoft to lower their security is even more creepy.

[+Red King Subscriber²]

I don't get why they need weakened security. Just waterboard the individual till he/she gives you the password. Jeez.

[Krome]

I don't get why they need weakened security. Just waterboard the individual till he/she gives you the password. Jeez.

hahahah that's a good one lol

[Dinggus]

I don't get why they need weakened security. Just waterboard the individual till he/she gives you the password. Jeez.

 

I thought the CIA just did that?

[The Evil Overlord]

If they need access to JLaw nudes, there are easier ways to get them :p

[The_Decryptor Veteran]

No thanks, the FBI can get a warrant if they want to access my data. (Not that it matters, not like the government bothers with warrants anymore, anyway.)

Yeah, they can already demand a password if they want access to the content, they shouldn't be given a backdoor to avoid having to get a warrant.

[exotoxic]

Yeah, they can already demand a password if they want access to the content, they shouldn't be given a backdoor to avoid having to get a warrant.

 

They can demand all they like but no serious criminal is going to give up the password, a couple of years for not giving the password vs 20, 30, 40 or more if they do?? In those situations then a backdoor would be required, i don't think they should be given one though.

[+Warwagon MVC]

When Steve Gibson was going to work on / make on a TNO open VPN system. He stopped because he felt the way the FBI was heading toward requesting back doors into software. This was 2 years ago. He was pretty right on the money.