FBI says data encryption hinders hunt for criminals
WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement officials warned Wednesday that data encryption is making it harder to hunt for pedophiles and terror suspects, telling senators that consumers’ right to privacy is not absolute and must be weighed against public-safety interests.
The testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee marked the latest front in a high-stakes dispute between the Obama administration and some of the world’s most influential tech companies, placing squarely before Congress an ongoing discussion that shows no signs of an easy resolution. Senators, too, offered divided opinions.
FBI and Justice Department officials have repeatedly asserted that encryption technology built into smartphones makes it harder for them to monitor and intercept messages from criminal suspects, such as Islamic State sympathizers who communicate online and child predators who conceal porn images. They say it’s critical that they be able to access encrypted communications in investigations, with companies maintaining the key to unlock such data.
But they face fierce opposition from Silicon Valley companies who say encryption safeguards customers’ privacy rights and offers protections from hackers, corporate spies and other breaches.
FBI Director James Comey, who has pressed his case repeatedly over the last year, sought Wednesday to defuse some of the tension. He told senators that he believed technology companies were fundamentally on the same page as law enforcement, adding, “I am not here to fight a war.”
“Encryption is a great thing. It keeps us all safe. It protects innovation,” Comey said.
But he warned that criminals were using encryption to create a safe zone from law enforcement.