FBI and Phone Encryption

With iOS8 and Android phones, all of the phone’s data is encrypted. Since it is encrypted, this means that the phone manufacture, the phone company and even the Federal Government have no way of accessing this data.  Analyzing this quickly, it may seem like these phone manufactures are “offering the consumer a virtual fortress from law enforcement.” And with this in mind, these phones could be abused by criminals since police enforcement would just simply not be able to track some of the criminal’s actions.

But, with further review, I feel like this sort of action from a phone manufacture should not be illegal or frowned upon. In a perfect world, the Federal Government should communicate with the manufacture and can ask how certain things are transmitted and encrypted, but they have no right to control how exactly the company wants to control their user’s data. If we look at this in a simpler example, should it be illegal if someone did this encryption themselves? In my opinion, the user can do what he or she pleases with their phone and software as long as it does not hurt anyone else. It should not be considered “hurtful” to protect one’s data if they want.

As a user, it is much safer to have one’s own phone encrypted, because it gives “customers control over sensitive data stored on their own devices”. Not only does it keep police away, but encryption can help keep cyber hackers away. And with the increase of celebrity phone hacking, this may be something that can stop that completely.  Along with this, it keeps focus on improving the way that data is perceived in the modern world. Instead of data becoming a public thing, this is heading us toward having data as a public thing.

To deal with this encryption, the Federal Government and other police enforcement still have “many avenues for investigation”.  By example, one of the most important ways to track criminals, these enforcements still can listen in on user’s phone calls. Along with this, I am sure there are many other ways that enforcement can cooperate with phone companies and manufactures to help them understand how they can keep the criminals from abusing this new encryption.

Also, like most political events nowadays, this sort of encryption causes an overreaction from some people.  John Escalante, a chief director, said the iPhone would become the “phone of choice for a pedophile”. This is of course just a scaring tactic, as most of the time, police do not need to the phone data to catch a pedophile.

Article: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/10/08/354598527/apple-says-ios-encryption-protects-privacy-fbi-raises-crime-fears