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This is not a debate about privacy vs. security. It's about security vs. security. [1] [2] [3] On balance, putting backdoors in phones will make us less secu

This is not a debate about privacy vs. security. It's about security vs. security. [1] [2] [3] On balance, putting backdoors in phones will make us less secure, because criminals will just use other methods to communicate, and the public will be putting their data within reach of every hacker in the world through a government-imposed weakness. The administration is unlikely to understand our privacy concerns. They do understand economic and public safety issues, and it is the facts around these issues that we must share with them. President Obama himself told President Xi last year that introducing backdoor legislation would hurt his economy [4]. Let's make Obama's argument back to him [1] https://youtu.be/g1GgnbN9oNw?t=3h35m52s https://youtu.be/g1GgnbN9oNw?t=3h35m52s [2] https://youtu.be/g1GgnbN9oNw?t=3h11m46s https://youtu.be/g1GgnbN9oNw?t=3h11m46s [3] https://youtu.be/g1GgnbN9oNw?t=3h19m39s https://youtu.be/g1GgnbN9oNw?t=3h19m39s [4] http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obama-china-idUSKBN0LY2H520150302 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obama-china-idUSKBN0LY...

skybrian 11y ago
"the public will be putting their data within reach of every hacker in the world through a government-imposed weakness" You're reusing arguments about key escrow in a way that doesn't apply. This isn't key escrow. It's about software updates, which use digital signing in the way it's supposed to be used. Apple's software updates are guarded by a private key. Of course they need to keep the private key safe, but sometimes use it to sign releases. It's expensive but doable, and a good thing too, because the entire app ecosystem (not to mention https and Bitcoin) depends on keeping private keys safe. If keeping a private key safe is impossible even for a well-funded company like Apple, public key encryption doesn't work. Game over.
- studentrob 11y ago
  > If keeping a private key safe is impossible even for a well-funded company like Apple, public key encryption doesn't work. Game over. Funny, FBI Director James Comey says the same thing [1] And, the DOJ has suggested that if Apple does create the requested tool, then they can just give the source code and key to the FBI [2] I think we know where you stand on this issue. [1] https://youtu.be/g1GgnbN9oNw?t=2h43m12s https://youtu.be/g1GgnbN9oNw?t=2h43m12s [2] http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/11/fbi-could-force-apple-to-hand-over-private-key http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/11/fbi-could-...
  - skybrian 11y ago
    Do you? Actually I'm strongly against anyone having to turn over a private key to the government.
- cyphar 11y ago
  > If keeping a private key safe is impossible even for a well-funded company like Apple, public key encryption doesn't work. Game over. The fact that only Apple has to sign updates (there's no user key to sign updates as well) and the user can't change the key is an issue as well.

skybrian 11y ago

"the public will be putting their data within reach of every hacker in the world through a government-imposed weakness" You're reusing arguments about key escrow in a way that doesn't apply. This isn't key escrow. It's about software updates, which use digital signing in the way it's supposed to be used. Apple's software updates are guarded by a private key. Of course they need to keep the private key safe, but sometimes use it to sign releases. It's expensive but doable, and a good thing too, because the entire app ecosystem (not to mention https and Bitcoin) depends on keeping private keys safe. If keeping a private key safe is impossible even for a well-funded company like Apple, public key encryption doesn't work. Game over.

studentrob 11y ago
> If keeping a private key safe is impossible even for a well-funded company like Apple, public key encryption doesn't work. Game over. Funny, FBI Director James Comey says the same thing [1] And, the DOJ has suggested that if Apple does create the requested tool, then they can just give the source code and key to the FBI [2] I think we know where you stand on this issue. [1] https://youtu.be/g1GgnbN9oNw?t=2h43m12s https://youtu.be/g1GgnbN9oNw?t=2h43m12s [2] http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/11/fbi-could-force-apple-to-hand-over-private-key http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/11/fbi-could-...
- skybrian 11y ago
  Do you? Actually I'm strongly against anyone having to turn over a private key to the government.
cyphar 11y ago
> If keeping a private key safe is impossible even for a well-funded company like Apple, public key encryption doesn't work. Game over. The fact that only Apple has to sign updates (there's no user key to sign updates as well) and the user can't change the key is an issue as well.