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France moves to break encrypted messaging

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Re: France moves to break encrypted messaging

#81

Post by antiframe »

bsaul wrote: post #65
nazcan wrote: post #35

I still don't understand the note that the companies can't decrypt the messages with e2e encryption. Isn't it as simple as a software update that says: "If user = foo, then send the on device keys elsewhere"? Or if those keys are part of a TPM, then a software update that just asks it to send in the decrypted messages? Can judges not order this now, but can order decryption if the keys are stored centrally?

of course, nothing magically prevents the app from sending keys or decrypted content to a third party. That's why if you're really serious about e2ee you have to install the app from source.

I like to co-opt the expression: not your keys, not your privacy.

Re: France moves to break encrypted messaging

#82

Post by qingcharles »

iamnothere wrote: post #44

Time to teach all your friends how to use a one-time pad. Could be a fun hobby for those with the right inclination.

It's not clear that this would be a legal workaround. Even texting in rare languages, like those in Egyptian hieroglyphs, or perhaps Klingon, might warrant a knock on your door.

Re: France moves to break encrypted messaging

#83

Post by leonidasrup »

budududuroiu wrote: post #52

I'll repeat this over and over: Most EU politicians are aware of needing to lead from positions of deep unpopularity for the next 10-20 years, they're just setting the stage to have the tools to suppress dissent at their disposal. After encryption, my bet is on reduced rights to protest (see UK wanting to ban protests that repeatedly "cause disruption").

EU politicians are still more popular than Russian politicians.

Re: France moves to break encrypted messaging

#84

Post by mrkeen »

hilbert42 wrote: post #25

Seems to me we're going to have to let the anti-encryption mob have their way until things go wrong—bigtime. No amount of expert advice will convince them until they witness firsthand the negative consequences of weakening encryption. It's only afterwards and as a consequence some highly newsworthy disasters occur such as a child abduction or political sex scandal involving a high profile politician come to light tha…

I don't think I've ever seen a consequence (from a legislator's POV.)

If someone does a high-profile enough hack, that can only mean more laws and increased police power to target it.

Re: France moves to break encrypted messaging

#86

Post by jemmyw »

The article is a lot more nuanced than the title or what most folks are discussing in comments. France has politicians voting in both directions and thus far the "keep encryption and enshrine it in law" side is ahead slightly.

> Senator Olivier Cadic, of the Centrist Union, secured an amendment to a separate bill on critical infrastructure resilience and cybersecurity that would do the opposite, writing encryption protection into French law and prohibiting any obligation on messaging services to install backdoors. The Senate adopted it in March 2025.

Re: France moves to break encrypted messaging

#88

Post by [deleted] »

Razengan wrote: post #67
hellcow wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> WhatsApp claims to be end-to-end-encrypted, but it's not open-source And explicitly does not encrypt metadata. Meanwhile NSA top brass publicly stated, "We kill people based on metadata."

> Meanwhile NSA top brass publicly stated, "We kill people based on metadata. Can someone post a link to that?

[deleted]

Re: France moves to break encrypted messaging

#89

Post by trolleski »

alkindiffie wrote: post #77

So in France you will not be able to send your friend gibberish text that only you and your friend understand. Will they also ban the ability to make new languages that only you and your friends understand. Will they also ban whispering?

But how can they be SURE that you are not a terrorist? Neuralink is the only option!
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