This is a good time to remember that police forces work for governments and not the other way around.
Of course it would be easier for the police to catch bad guys if they had full-text search access to all conversations and content, worldwide. That doesn’t mean it is a good idea. They’re asking for something to make their job easier... can’t blame them for trying, and of course who doesn’t want to catch people who harm children?
But it’s not their responsibility to account for negative side effects. That’s our responsibility, as citizens who are in charge of our governments. And we have to remember that governments and police can hurt children too. Look at what the border police in the U.S. are doing right now. And when it comes to fighting that sort of thing, encrypted comms are essential for political organizing.
This is on top of the obvious and many benefits of encryption in protecting us all from crime.
Of course it would be easier for the police to catch bad guys if they had full-text search access to all conversations and content, worldwide. That doesn’t mean it is a good idea. They’re asking for something to make their job easier... can’t blame them for trying, and of course who doesn’t want to catch people who harm children?
But it’s not their responsibility to account for negative side effects. That’s our responsibility, as citizens who are in charge of our governments. And we have to remember that governments and police can hurt children too. Look at what the border police in the U.S. are doing right now. And when it comes to fighting that sort of thing, encrypted comms are essential for political organizing.
This is on top of the obvious and many benefits of encryption in protecting us all from crime.