Developers Heads up: EU considers declaration of crypto wars

[getopt]

Developers Heads up: EU considers declaration of crypto wars

Encryption/interception

Since the Snowden revelations, internet and telecommunications companies have started to use often de-centralized encryption which increasingly makes lawful interception by the relevant national authorities technically difficult or even impossible.
The Commission should be invited to explore rules obliging internet and telecommunications companies operating in the EU to provide under certain conditions as set out in the relevant national laws and in full compliance with fundamental rights access of the relevant national authorities to communications (i.e. share encryption keys).

As encryption works (when properly done) they now want the keys.

This agenda may result in a major shift in EU legislation.

 

[Crivens]

"May you live in interesting times", wasn't that some old chinese curse?

I would like to say something along the line of a certain three-letter-acrynom, but I find that I have used up my yearly allowance of these already. We are going to live in interesting times, sure enough.

 

[SirDice]

And what exactly would stop criminals from using a type of encryption that doesn't have a "master" key? The only thing legislation like this will accomplish is that governments have the capability to listen in on everyone's communications, except those from criminals.

 

[kpa]

How are they going to enforce ADKs (additional decryption keys, the only practical way to eavesdrop on public key crypto) on crypto systems such as GnuPG? Basically they can't shut down the distribution of GnuPG if its developers refuse to modify their system to allow enforced ADKs. Even if they manage that somehow do that it's easy for someone who knows enough of cryptosystems to fork the code from the point before the enforced ADKs were added and host their own version that has no backdoors implanted.

 

[SirDice]

How are they going to enforce ADKs (additional decryption keys, the only practical way to eavesdrop on public key crypto) on crypto systems such as GnuPG? Basically they can't shut down the distribution of GnuPG if its developers refuse to modify their system to allow enforced ADKs.

But "they" can make it illegal for you and me to use it.

Even if they manage that somehow do that it's easy for someone who knows enough of cryptosystems to fork the code from the point before the enforced ADKs were added and host their own version that has no backdoors implanted.

Exactly. Criminals won't have a problem with that as everything they do is already illegal.

 

[kpa]

But "they" can make it illegal for you and me to use it.

Then the question becomes, how are the authorities going to catch you for using non-approved crypto? I have a very hard time believing anyone is going to be caught unless they are very stupid.

 

[SirDice]

Then the question becomes, how are the authorities going to catch you for using non-approved crypto? I have a very hard time believing anyone is going to be caught unless they are very stupid.

The threat of jail time or massive fines is usually enough for most people to not use it. But you're absolutely correct.

 

[Crivens]

The reason for this is that you have to be guilty of something, in case you do something that the powers that be do no like. There is no proof you are visiting one of these naughty naughty pages in the web? No pictures on your machine to drag you trough the press? Then you are suddenly guilty of encryption. Ask Mr. Tauss how this works out in case you are even part of the gouvernment.

There is no way to rule Innocent Men. The only power any Government has is the power to crack down on Criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many thing to be a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws.

It's not encryption, it's the possibility to hide from this, even after all your data is seized and looked at.