Over a year after the FBI’s much-publicized struggle to access an encrypted iPhone, the debate around whether private technology companies should build in “backdoor” access for government authorities continues. Many companies that offer electronic communication services say absolute, unbreakable encryption is a necessary consumer cybersecurity protection. But for law enforcement officials, it is an excessive barrier to lawful investigations.
Despite all the attention the debate has received, it is nowhere near resolution in the United States, where many of the world’s largest and most influential technology companies reside. And some believe that the slow pace to address this challenge in the United States may be intentional.
