5 ms·

Hopefully there's a silver lining and that this means the encryption backdoor push (led by Comey) will slow to a crawl or be forgotten. He was already preparing

by mtgx 10y ago

Hopefully there's a silver lining and that this means the encryption backdoor push (led by Comey) will slow to a crawl or be forgotten. He was already preparing a push for FISA Amendments renewal together with Dianne Feinstein (who is apparently having a change of heart about her own retirement).

Sargos 10y ago
Don't count on it. Trump will likely put someone very right wing into the position and the attack on encryption will intensify.
- briandear 10y ago
  So the right wing wants to reduce encryption? And the left doesn't? Republican Senator Rand Paul has been at the forefront of fighting for privacy protections. Chuck Schumer sure hasn't.
  - tacomonstrous 10y ago
    Well, change 'right wing' to 'Trumpist' and the statement becomes basically accurate.
  - Sargos 10y ago
    Rand Paul is not what many would be referring to when they say right wing. Rand and Ron Paul are both libertarians that are pro-individual-liberty and clash with the rest of the GOP routinely. They are anomalies.
    - LyndsySimon 10y ago
      > Rand and Ron Paul are both libertarians that are pro-individual-liberty and clash with the rest of the GOP routinely. I strongly believe the average libertarian would disagree with this statement. Rand has made it clear that he is a Republican first.
  - s73ver 10y ago
    Trump has proven he doesn't give a damn about privacy, either.
  - hendersoon 10y ago
    You're right. The Democrats have been much more aggressive at attacking our privacy over the past 10 years or so. But it isn't really a partisan issue (yet).
  - neuronexmachina 10y ago
    It's not a matter of right-wing vs left-wing, it's a matter of authoritarian/security-above-all vs personal freedom. I mean, we're talking about a President who advocated to "boycott Apple" in response to them not decrypting the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. * http://gizmodo.com/trump-calls-for-boycott-of-apple-products-1760159905 http://gizmodo.com/trump-calls-for-boycott-of-apple-products... * https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/700795170023825408 https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/70079517002382540...
  - ianamartin 10y ago
    You're correct that this is an issue that tends to cross party lines. Franken tends to be pro-encyption, so does Rand Paul. It's not a right-left issue. It's a bipartisan issue that speaks to almost every U.S. citizen. And it's equally bipartisan when people hate this. This is not a right-left issue. It's a pro/against law enforcement at the expense of constitutional rights issue. There are many on both sides of the aisle who can legitimately support this idea.
- ratmice 10y ago
  maybe we haven't explained it to their constituents appropriately, lets protect our 2nd amendment rights to encryption.
Analemma_ 10y ago
You must be joking. The law-and-order MAGA candidate, who attacked Apple repeatedly for not building the FBI backdoor after the San Bernardino shootings, is going to appointment someone who doesn't want encryption backdoors?
sbuttgereit 10y ago
I'd give you 10 for 1 on that bet. No one running in the last election (or in office & with real power in recent memory) was any sort of real civil libertarian and I would be stunned if the current powers that be put someone of that ilk up for the position.
pizza 10y ago
When I watched the hearing I think I heard Comey say that he + the intelligence community did not want encryption backdoors, but instead wanted to look for 'alternatives' (w/e that would mean). However, I would imagine Trump would be the opposite, and be calling for backdoors. I wouldn't be surprised if he compared encryption to suspicion of terrorism..
- Sevii 10y ago
  There is no alternative to backdoors. Other than trying to ban encryption again.
castratikron 10y ago
Unfortunately that mode of thinking seems to be bipartisan. Recall Clinton's stance on the San Bernardino case: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/12/hillary-clinton-wants-manhattan-like-project-to-break-encryption/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/12/hillary-clinton-...
davesque 10y ago
You expect that from an administration with autocratic tendencies?

by mtgx 10y ago

Sargos 10y ago

Don't count on it. Trump will likely put someone very right wing into the position and the attack on encryption will intensify.

briandear 10y ago
So the right wing wants to reduce encryption? And the left doesn't? Republican Senator Rand Paul has been at the forefront of fighting for privacy protections. Chuck Schumer sure hasn't.
- tacomonstrous 10y ago
  Well, change 'right wing' to 'Trumpist' and the statement becomes basically accurate.
- Sargos 10y ago
  Rand Paul is not what many would be referring to when they say right wing. Rand and Ron Paul are both libertarians that are pro-individual-liberty and clash with the rest of the GOP routinely. They are anomalies.
  - LyndsySimon 10y ago
    > Rand and Ron Paul are both libertarians that are pro-individual-liberty and clash with the rest of the GOP routinely. I strongly believe the average libertarian would disagree with this statement. Rand has made it clear that he is a Republican first.
- s73ver 10y ago
  Trump has proven he doesn't give a damn about privacy, either.
- hendersoon 10y ago
  You're right. The Democrats have been much more aggressive at attacking our privacy over the past 10 years or so. But it isn't really a partisan issue (yet).
- neuronexmachina 10y ago
  It's not a matter of right-wing vs left-wing, it's a matter of authoritarian/security-above-all vs personal freedom. I mean, we're talking about a President who advocated to "boycott Apple" in response to them not decrypting the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone. * http://gizmodo.com/trump-calls-for-boycott-of-apple-products-1760159905 http://gizmodo.com/trump-calls-for-boycott-of-apple-products... * https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/700795170023825408 https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/70079517002382540...
- ianamartin 10y ago
  You're correct that this is an issue that tends to cross party lines. Franken tends to be pro-encyption, so does Rand Paul. It's not a right-left issue. It's a bipartisan issue that speaks to almost every U.S. citizen. And it's equally bipartisan when people hate this. This is not a right-left issue. It's a pro/against law enforcement at the expense of constitutional rights issue. There are many on both sides of the aisle who can legitimately support this idea.
ratmice 10y ago
maybe we haven't explained it to their constituents appropriately, lets protect our 2nd amendment rights to encryption.

Analemma_ 10y ago

You must be joking. The law-and-order MAGA candidate, who attacked Apple repeatedly for not building the FBI backdoor after the San Bernardino shootings, is going to appointment someone who doesn't want encryption backdoors?

sbuttgereit 10y ago

I'd give you 10 for 1 on that bet. No one running in the last election (or in office & with real power in recent memory) was any sort of real civil libertarian and I would be stunned if the current powers that be put someone of that ilk up for the position.

pizza 10y ago

When I watched the hearing I think I heard Comey say that he + the intelligence community did not want encryption backdoors, but instead wanted to look for 'alternatives' (w/e that would mean). However, I would imagine Trump would be the opposite, and be calling for backdoors. I wouldn't be surprised if he compared encryption to suspicion of terrorism..

Sevii 10y ago
There is no alternative to backdoors. Other than trying to ban encryption again.

castratikron 10y ago

Unfortunately that mode of thinking seems to be bipartisan. Recall Clinton's stance on the San Bernardino case: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/12/hillary-clinton-wants-manhattan-like-project-to-break-encryption/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/12/hillary-clinton-...

davesque 10y ago

You expect that from an administration with autocratic tendencies?