Image credit – Getty Images/Andrew Burton
Recently Senator John McCain spoke up out encryption in which he basically said that the government should outlaw encryption that they are unable to break. It seems that McCain isn’t alone in his opinion as Hillary Clinton has expressed her thoughts on encryption, especially in mobile communications in which she more or less feels the same.
Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, Clinton talked about the recent terrorist attacks on Paris and what the US government could do in response to it, and one of the things she said was tackling the way the terrorists communicate. She also said one of the challenges to that would be the encryption of mobile communications.
According to Clinton, “[One] challenge is how to strike the right balance of protecting privacy and security. Encryption of mobile communications presents a particularly tough problem. We should take the concerns of law enforcement and counterterrorism professionals seriously. They have warned that impenetrable encryption may prevent them from accessing terrorist communications and preventing a future attack.”
However at the same time she also stated that she understands why tech companies might be unwilling to open that door especially in light of reports of the government spying on its own people, but she states that the government should not be viewed as the adversary. “We need to challenge our best minds in the private sector to work with our best minds in the public sector to develop solutions that will both keep us safe and protect our privacy. Now is the time to solve this problem, not after the next attack.”