European police chief: Encryption is the 'biggest problem' in tackling terrorism
Europol director Rob Wainwright said that the rise in use of secure messaging platforms that cannot be decrypted by law enforcement under any circumstances has "become perhaps the biggest problem for the police and the security service authorities in dealing with the threats from terrorism."
In the wake of multiple revelations about the extent of government surveillance of citizens' communications, there has been a surge in use of encrypted software that cannot be decrypted by companies or authorities if the user refuses to surrender their password. In particular, Google and Apple both promised to encrypt the data stored on Android and iOS devices by default (although Google has postponed implementation because the technical demands of encryption was crippling users' phones).
This hardened stance from technology companies has infuriated authorities, who see encryption as a significant challenge to monitoring potential criminal and terrorist threats. Previously, a senior US cop has said that introducing encryption by default will make the iPhone "the phone of choice for the paedophile."
British Prime Minister David Cameron has also spoken out against the spread of encryption technology, apparently promising to outlaw it if he is re-elected in May 2015. "[Do] we want to allow a means of communication between two people which even in extemis with a signed warrant from the home secretary personally that we cannot read?" he asked. "My answer to that question is no, we must not."
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Nonetheless, Wainwright is critical of companies like Apple. "We are disappointed by the position of these tech firms and it only adds to our problems in getting to the communications of the most dangerous people hat are abusing the Internet." He told the BBC he believes the increase in encryption is "because of a greater commercial imperative driven by what they perceive to be consumer demand for greater privacy of their communications."
Wainwright adds that encryption has "changed the very nature of counter-terrorist work from one that has been traditionally reliant on having good monitoring capability of communications to one that essentially doesn't provide one any more."
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- One of the world's only 5-star airlines seems to be considering asking business-class passengers to bring their own cutlery
- From terrace to table: 8 Edible plants you can grow in your home
- India fourth largest military spender globally in 2023: SIPRI report
- New study forecasts high chance of record-breaking heat and humidity in India in the coming months
- Gold plunges ₹1,450 to ₹72,200, silver prices dive by ₹2,300
- Strong domestic demand supporting India's growth: Morgan Stanley