The following statement can be attributed to Chris Mohr, President, the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA).
According to the Washington Post, the UK has now ordered Apple to create a backdoor that would allow access to end-to-end encrypted communications globally. This move is both ill-advised and dangerous. While done purportedly to assist law enforcement, it will have untold ramifications for cybersecurity, data privacy and civil liberties.
There is no such thing as an encryption backdoor that can only be used for good actors. The UK’s policy will give bad actors and autocratic regimes an opening to infiltrate private communications, business data and consumer information. Particularly in the wake of Salt Typhoon, we need policies to make information more (not less) secure. We call on the Trump Administration and the U.S. Congress to take a firm stand against this troubling development.
