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Message encryption a 'problem' – UK home secretary

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Message encryption a 'problem' – UK home secretary

#21

Post by daemin »

rwmj wrote: post #10
317070 wrote: post #5

> "However, there is a problem in terms of the growth of end-to-end encryption. "It’s a problem for the security services and for police who are not, under the normal way, under properly warranted paths, able to access that information.” What surprises me about this argument, is that their stance is that terrorists are accidentally starting to use encryption. So, by consequence, that in the past terrorists simply did…

The vast majority of terrorists are clowns who, if they happen to use encryption at all, will mess up infosec in ways that are trivial to compromise. So if the Home Secretary is saying that message encryption is a "problem" then there must be something else going on which has little to do with terrorism.

The way I see it and it have stated before is that it's about control and keeping in power. By being able to listen in on any communication and being able to track who is talking to whom, they are able to catch and suppress leakers and whistleblowers. Thereby making sure that if they themselves do anything wrong it can be covered up easily and indefinitely.

Re: Message encryption a 'problem' – UK home secretary

#22

Post by discombobulate »

sonthonax wrote: post #14
rwmj wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The vast majority of terrorists are clowns who, if they happen to use encryption at all, will mess up infosec in ways that are trivial to compromise. So if the Home Secretary is saying that message encryption is a "problem" then there must be something else going on which has little to do with terrorism.

> The vast majority of terrorists are clowns. Perhaps if you're referring to home grown Islamic terrorists. However Britain does have a problem with an experienced group of rather professional terrorists called the IRA.

When was the last IRA attack, Manchester 1996?

Re: Message encryption a 'problem' – UK home secretary

#23

Post by [deleted] »

rwmj wrote: post #11
Aoyagi wrote: post #9

It's like Rudd and Abbott are competing in which will come up with more ridiculous notion. And you'd think they would choose someone competent for bloody home secretary and shadow home secretary respectively.

There hasn't been a competent Home Sec since ... what ... Ken Clarke perhaps? Why should they start now.

[deleted]

Re: Message encryption a 'problem' – UK home secretary

#24

Post by sshagent »

Fifer82 wrote: post #16

Oh god, I despair of this country. After a decade of conservative I have never been so disillusioned. I feel like I am stuck in a rut or like, I don't belong here. It is a horrible feeling. Deep down I know that the government is stuck in 1740 and by the time that millennials walk the halls of power, their parents will have signed away all their rights. The very last thing I love is my country, that is for sure.

Agreed. Those semi regular approached by Work to relocate perhaps shoudln't be dismissed out of hand. Would love to leave the country until all this brexit shit washes over

Re: Message encryption a 'problem' – UK home secretary

#25

Post by stefs »

dm319 wrote: post #12

I feel like the people who understand encryption and privacy advocates (myself included) are not engaging enough (or maybe effectively enough) with the public in communicating the concerns around trying to 'backdoor' encryption or giving up more of our privacy. While I think these political statements are often ridiculous, they actually have widespread public support, if my cohort of friends and family are anything t…

i think the problem is it's a highly technical, mathematical and social problem that isn't easily explained. well, the technical part is even comparatively simple. but the negative implications are usually harder to communicate. the "slippery slope" argument only gets one so far and non-criminals usually can't imagine how it would negatively affect them. "only metadata" doesn't sound too bad!

the opponents of full encryption though have it quite easy by name-dropping the FUD buzzwords - i.e. security and terrorism. and anyway, it's only metadata!

Re: Message encryption a 'problem' – UK home secretary

#26

Post by EliRivers »

discombobulate wrote: post #22
sonthonax wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The vast majority of terrorists are clowns. Perhaps if you're referring to home grown Islamic terrorists. However Britain does have a problem with an experienced group of rather professional terrorists called the IRA.

When was the last IRA attack, Manchester 1996?

If we fuck up Brexit badly enough, maybe we'll see them back in action.

Re: Message encryption a 'problem' – UK home secretary

#28

Post by chii »

dm319 wrote: post #12

I feel like the people who understand encryption and privacy advocates (myself included) are not engaging enough (or maybe effectively enough) with the public in communicating the concerns around trying to 'backdoor' encryption or giving up more of our privacy. While I think these political statements are often ridiculous, they actually have widespread public support, if my cohort of friends and family are anything t…

I found the John Oliver episode about Snowden to be very good at conveying the ideas of privacy. Just mention that the govt can decrypt your dick pics and sexting if these laws pass.

Re: Message encryption a 'problem' – UK home secretary

#29

Post by lou1306 »

jstanley wrote: post #2

> When pressed on what kind of metadata she wanted, she replied: “I’m having those conversations in private.” Well I would like to know who she's having those conversations with, when she's having them, and how long they last. I think it's important that she share this information with us. So that we can catch criminals.

Also, this is beyond ridiculous. Have fun having those "private conversations" on a backdoor-riddled machine.

Re: Message encryption a 'problem' – UK home secretary

#30

Post by DropbearRob »

There is a growing misconception that it is the role of the government to "keep their citizens safe".

Although that it is often the intention of legislation to prevent behaviour which may lead to unsafe situations. For example, making it illegal to drink and drive. You can arrest someone for breaking the law, but never can you arrest someone right up to the point of breaking the law. For example, You cannot arrest someone for being drunk and having their car keys in their pocket, or even being asleep in the car while drunk.

This is the problem with the government demanding to read all communications... the idea that they have the right in order to prevent you committing a crime. Its not only impossible to prevent someone committing a crime (anyone can snap and do truly horrible things without prior communique), its insane to think that you can arrest someone for pre-crime.

The role of the government is to pass laws. The role of the police and the justice system is to enforce these laws. It is not their job to spy on all their citizens for events which historically kill fractions of a percent compared to something as trivial as car accidents.

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