FBI: Mobile Phone Encryption Puts Americans at Risk

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) director believes encrypting information on smartphones makes Americans less safe from violent criminals. In fact, James Comey suggests that smartphone companies may be marketing the feature in a way that actually encourages criminal behavior.

Largely in response to the scandal involving the National Security Agency (NSA) and Edward Snowden, the world's largest mobile phone technology companies have introduced encryption systems designed to help users protect their data against government snooping. Last week Google announced it would enable data encryption by default with the next version of the Android mobile operating system (OS), while Apple will allow iOS 8 users to encrypt data stored on their iPhones and iPads. (Source: pcworld.com)

Mobile Encryption Helps Place People "Beyond the Law"

Mobile phone encryption is an alarming new trend, says Comey. "What concerns me about this is companies marketing something expressly to allow people to place themselves beyond the law," Comey told reporters last week. He suggested that new encryption systems would prevent law enforcement agencies -- including the FBI -- from making headway in kidnapping and terrorism cases, where snooping on smartphone data plays a crucial role in preventing and solving crimes.

Comey says the FBI is working with tech companies like Google and Apple "to understand what they're thinking and why they think [smartphone encryption] makes sense."

Comey is not the only law enforcement expert who feels this way. Ronald T. Hosko, President of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund and former Assistant Director of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division, recently wrote an editorial for the Washington Post in which he slammed Apple and Google for introducing mobile encryption. (Source: washingtonpost.com)

Encryption "Could Cost Victims Their Lives," Expert Says

Encryption limits "law enforcement's access to data, contacts, photos and email stored on the phone itself," Hosko wrote. "These new rules will make it impossible for us to access that information. They will create needless delays that could cost victims their lives."

Hosko went on to insist that the encryption of mobile data will protect cybercriminals, helping crooks to "exponentially increase their own success rates."

Of course, Apple chief executive officer Tim Cook doesn't quite see eye-to-eye with Comey and Hosko on this matter. "People have a right to privacy," Cook said in a recent interview. "And I think that's going to be a very key topic over the next year or so." (Source: wsj.com)

What's Your Opinion?

Do you agree with Tim Cook that people have a right to privacy, especially when it comes to mobile technology? Or are you concerned that the encryption of mobile data will only serve to empower criminals? Does the introduction of encryption by Google and Apple make you more interested in acquiring the newest versions of their mobile operating systems (Android and iOS), or just the opposite?