We Need More Protection from Government Surveillance — Not Less

Tags: 2020s Backdoors Human Rights Regulated Encryption

Authors: McGowan, Iverna, Naranjo, Diego, Koomen, Maria, Beltrà, Guillermo, Preiss, Omri, Massé, Estelle, Cohn, Cindy, Stollmeyer, Alice, Bukovská, Barbora, Dusepulchre, Gaelle, Anderson, Andrew, Skoric, Vanja, Westby, Joe, Keller, Paul

Published: July 2021

URL: https://www.politico.eu/article/we-need-more-protection-government-surveillance-not-less/

Abstract: A group of user- and human-rights advocates jointly write an article published by Politico in response to Catherine de Bolle and Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.s, “The Last Refuge of the Criminal: Encypted Smartphones.” They describe the importance of encryption to democracy and human rights in the face of increasing pressure by government for tech-company-assisted surveillance, citing multiple groups that depend upon encryption for privacy and physical safety: from investigative journalists to subjects of authoritarian governments to members of the LGBTQ+ community. They argue that encryption is, by definition, binary, that “regulated encryption” is a euphemism for backdoors—and, fundamentally, that encryption is sorely needed as a basic protection around the globe.