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I'm pro-encryption, but I think your argument is lazy and not fact-based. We see from this article that criminals are not particularly skilled at hiding their c

I'm pro-encryption, but I think your argument is lazy and not fact-based. We see from this article that criminals are not particularly skilled at hiding their communications. You and I both want a world where encryption is ubiquitous and easy to use. Where text messages are somehow encrypted-by-default. That does mean in this instance police would have had to use some other means to apprehend Abaaoud. That's a cost of everyone having privacy. Banning encryption will stop the majority of violent/petty criminals who are not educated and poorly funded from using it. I won't claim otherwise. I think the answer, as always, is educating people and making sure they have decent responsibilities and resources at their disposal so they won't want to do harm. People who can trust their government to give them privacy and protect their interests won't lash out.

tgb 11y ago
Sorry but I have no idea how that addresses my comment. Not that I disagree with what you're saying, it just seems orthogonal or as if you meant to reply to someone else.
- lukeschlather 11y ago
  > The point of banning encryption isn't too stop criminals from using it, it's to stop non-criminals. It's not an either/or situation, banning encryption is designed primarily to stop criminals from using it. It is also effective. It's obviously not 100% effective, it's probably more like 75% effective. I think you're assuming that most of the people arguing for prohibition are dreaming of a police state, and I think you're constructing an oversimplification that doesn't acknowledge the facts.
  - tgb 11y ago
    Oh yeah my post was half joking, half playing devil's advocate to the oversimplification of the tweet it was replying to. But either way, the point was that getting (only) non-criminals off encryption still makes spotting criminals easier, which I don't think is an oversimplification.

tgb 11y ago

Sorry but I have no idea how that addresses my comment. Not that I disagree with what you're saying, it just seems orthogonal or as if you meant to reply to someone else.

lukeschlather 11y ago
> The point of banning encryption isn't too stop criminals from using it, it's to stop non-criminals. It's not an either/or situation, banning encryption is designed primarily to stop criminals from using it. It is also effective. It's obviously not 100% effective, it's probably more like 75% effective. I think you're assuming that most of the people arguing for prohibition are dreaming of a police state, and I think you're constructing an oversimplification that doesn't acknowledge the facts.
- tgb 11y ago
  Oh yeah my post was half joking, half playing devil's advocate to the oversimplification of the tweet it was replying to. But either way, the point was that getting (only) non-criminals off encryption still makes spotting criminals easier, which I don't think is an oversimplification.