Fear of obliging the ability to forcibly decrypt smartphone's strong encryption in case of emergency

ByDaniel Oines

Since both iOS and Android are equipped with data encryption function, it is extremely difficult to decipher the strong encrypted data, so many people who use the encryption function in view of privacy protection are many. However, a bill has been submitted to makers to mandate functions that can release the encryption function in response to requests from law enforcement agencies, and ripples are spreading.

A8093 | NY State Senate
http://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2015/a8093

New York Wants to Force Vendors to Decrypt Users' Phones | On the Wire
https://www.onthewire.io/new-york-wants-to-force-vendors-to-decrypt-users-phones/

New York draft law to require manufacturers to decrypt smartphones
http://www.neowin.net/news/new-york-draft-law-to-require-manufacturers-to-decrypt-smartphones

A bill has been submitted to the parliament in the state of New York State in the United States to oblige manufacturers to incorporate smartphone decryption functions into the system. This is due to the fact that the criminal investigation is greatly hindered by the smart phone's strong encryption function, and as the same bill has already been submitted in the UK etc., debate begins in countries all over the world There is a problem.

The dangers of British cryptographic prohibition bill opposed by Apple - GIGAZINE


This bill aims to ensure the threat to criminal investigation and public safety. In the accompanying explanation, "Although new software may enhance the privacy of some users, it also has a serious impact on the victim's support by reducing the ability of law enforcement agencies. As long as all the evidence contained in the terminal is protected by the function to protect the smartphone with the passcode included in the smartphone or similar device, the enforcement power of the law enforcement agency is disabled. A terminal protected by code invalidates a legitimate court order and supports the criminal without a doubt, "the pass code lock and encryption function of smartphone is greatly hurting in the current criminal investigation The current status is becoming clear.

In the bill, smartphone makers and OS manufacturers are required to incorporate a mechanism that can release the encryption function of the terminal if requested by a law enforcement agency, and in case of violation, a charge of 2,500 dollars (About 300,000 yen) will be imposed on smartphone makers, it is said.


For similar bills, Apple offering iOS devices expressly expresses the will to oppose. Apple said, "The system that decapsulates a terminal is a kind of" backdoor ", providing a backdoor increases the risk of malicious people accessing data in the terminal, and from the viewpoint of user's privacy protection I can not approve of it ".

Discussion is becoming active in the United States following Britain, and even in countries around the world including Japan, it is likely that the same legal enactment will be discussed.