FBI Director James B. Comey sharply criticized Apple and Google on Thursday for developing forms of smartphone encryption so secure that law enforcement officials cannot easily gain access to information stored on the devices — even when they have valid search warrants.First off, the FBI, the NSA, the DEA and the local cops have nobody to blame but themselves for this. People don't want them rummaging around in their shit. Apple and the other tech companies are (wait for it) responding to market forces.
Second, and more importantly, nothing will prevent law enforcement from getting a search warrant and then compelling the owner of the smartphone to unlock it. So the "we can't get the data, even with a warrant" mantra is bullshit.
What would be true is that the FBI and the other goons couldn't get the data in secret. Just like as it used to be with search warrants, at least, before the Patriot Act "legalized" secret searches.
Yep, bout to get interesting...
ReplyDelete"nothing will prevent law enforcement from getting a search warrant and then compelling the owner of the smartphone to unlock it."
ReplyDeleteAre you sure? This should be included in the right to shut up. You don't need to help your prosecutor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Computer_passwords