This issue brings up a larger point that many in the tech world have ignored for awhile. Now that end to end encryption is easily accessible by everyone, how do the authorities figure out beforehand when a terrorist attack will take place? The answer is not banning encryption technologies or giving authorities a 'key' as the FBI director has proposed. But now authorities have a very difficult problem on their hands. Encryption can't be contained, and the authorities need to figure out how to still catch the bad guys.
Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack
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Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack
#32Even without having encryption in main stream applications, like WhatsApp, it's child's play to communicate secretly. There are so many open source applications that allow you to do this, it wouldn't even be a speed bump for criminals. Targeting main stream applications only hurts main stream users. NYT should write an article about that.
You seem to be overlooking the obvious argument that if a small group of people use encryption, then you greatly reduce the number of messages that you need to flag. Furthermore, if someone on a Watch List starts using encryption then perhaps you have an imminent problem. I'm not on the side of reading messages but you missed the real argument being made. Typical HN. How about someone answering the argument that will…
If only the government(s) could be trusted to not pass along confidential business information from foreign companies (or even perhaps local) to help the companies in their own country.
Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack
#33You could plan terrorist activity using postcards. Should we ban the Post Office? You could use phone calls from pay phones (where they still exist) and people used to do that all the time to plan crimes. You could go on vacation together and plan something. You could use voice or text chat in an online game to plan stuff. The people in charge of these organizations are not the suicide bombers; the head folks know fu…
Your post seems to miss the fact that the mail, phone calls and popular chat services are already logged, and asking for encryption back-doors is just wanting that process to continue.
Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack
#34This issue brings up a larger point that many in the tech world have ignored for awhile. Now that end to end encryption is easily accessible by everyone, how do the authorities figure out beforehand when a terrorist attack will take place? The answer is not banning encryption technologies or giving authorities a 'key' as the FBI director has proposed. But now authorities have a very difficult problem on their hands.…
It's not like they were particularly good at stopping terrorism before encryption became widespread. The problem is that they think they can stop all terrorist attacks, which is impossible.
Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack
#35This issue brings up a larger point that many in the tech world have ignored for awhile. Now that end to end encryption is easily accessible by everyone, how do the authorities figure out beforehand when a terrorist attack will take place? The answer is not banning encryption technologies or giving authorities a 'key' as the FBI director has proposed. But now authorities have a very difficult problem on their hands.…
The right answer is intelligence gathering in the field, the old fashioned way. It's the only method that's compatible with freedom of expression and the 4th amendment.
Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack
#36Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack
#37Increasingly we're seeing 'encryption' discussed in mainstream media as a tool that can only be used for nefarious ends. Kind of like how they talked about "cookies" in the late 90s and early 00s.
It's unfortunate that there's no way [without a lot of money] to launch a campaign that highlights the fact that most sensitive online transactions rely on encryption - banking, purchasing, etc - to protect you from The Bad People who want to steal your critical financial information.
That would also highlight that it's not just about keeping secrets from the government - in fact, that's the smallest fraction of it.
Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack
#38This issue brings up a larger point that many in the tech world have ignored for awhile. Now that end to end encryption is easily accessible by everyone, how do the authorities figure out beforehand when a terrorist attack will take place? The answer is not banning encryption technologies or giving authorities a 'key' as the FBI director has proposed. But now authorities have a very difficult problem on their hands.…
Yeah, remember 2003, when encryption wasn't mainstream. They did a much better job back then.
You make it sound like there was a point when broad surveillance helped against terrorism, but it never did.
Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack
#39Even without having encryption in main stream applications, like WhatsApp, it's child's play to communicate secretly. There are so many open source applications that allow you to do this, it wouldn't even be a speed bump for criminals. Targeting main stream applications only hurts main stream users. NYT should write an article about that.
You seem to be overlooking the obvious argument that if a small group of people use encryption, then you greatly reduce the number of messages that you need to flag. Furthermore, if someone on a Watch List starts using encryption then perhaps you have an imminent problem. I'm not on the side of reading messages but you missed the real argument being made. Typical HN. How about someone answering the argument that will…
I have not seen them use that argument. If they used that it would be better than what they normally do; which is imply they don't understand what's going on. But even this argument is subject to the same problems; it implies they don't really know why we'd want/need encryption because it assumes that a government could create a back door only they could use.
Re: Times Pulls Article Blaming Encryption in Paris Terror Attack
#40Even without having encryption in main stream applications, like WhatsApp, it's child's play to communicate secretly. There are so many open source applications that allow you to do this, it wouldn't even be a speed bump for criminals. Targeting main stream applications only hurts main stream users. NYT should write an article about that.
You seem to be overlooking the obvious argument that if a small group of people use encryption, then you greatly reduce the number of messages that you need to flag. Furthermore, if someone on a Watch List starts using encryption then perhaps you have an imminent problem. I'm not on the side of reading messages but you missed the real argument being made. Typical HN. How about someone answering the argument that will…
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