FBI director: iPhones shields pedophiles from cops

[kelroy55]

In an interview on CBS' "60 Minutes" on Sunday, Comey said Apple's encryption standards for iPhones and iPads "put people beyond the law."

Apple (AAPL, Tech30) recently took measures to enhance user privacy. Now, only users have the key to unlock text messages, photos and emails on their device. As such, iOS 8 will shield your data from anyone -- including police.

Here's how it works: You send a text message that's encrypted on your device. It passes through Apple servers as jumbled code nobody can crack. And it can only get decrypted by your friend's iPhone passcode.

Google (GOOG) has announced it's doing the same for its Android devices.

The FBI director isn't pleased.

The notion that people have devices... that with court orders, based on a showing of probable cause in a case involving kidnapping or child exploitation or terrorism, we could never open that phone? My sense is that we've gone too far when we've gone there," Comey told CBS.

FBI director: iPhones shields pedophiles from cops - Oct. 13, 2014

My sense is the FBI has gone too far if it's complaining it doesn't have full access to our private lives.

[Pete]

I watched that interview and what he's saying is that they only want access with court orders.

No different than have a legal search warrant for a house but having some sort of lock on it that can't be broken.

[BBatesokc]

I watched that interview and what he's saying is that they only want access with court orders.

No different than have a legal search warrant for a house but having some sort of lock on it that can't be broken.

And what Apple is saying is "Too bad." And I agree.

Apple should have no obligation to leave a key under the mat for law enforcement.

My fear is that legislation will now be passed requiring companies like Apple to not only give LE the key, but also must store and archive all that data for years - "just in case big brother wants to take a peek."

I hope Apple and the others hold their ground.

[Of Sound Mind]

I might be more sympathetic to the cries of the FBI director, U.S. Attorney General and other law enforcement agencies if there hasn't been a track record over the last decade of egregious government surveillance overreach and unchecked power of intrusion into the lives of everyday citizens under the guise of the enigmatic pretense of "national security.

[Pete]

It is true that these various security agencies have violated the public trust and therefore aren't going to get a lot of support on this issue.

[Mel]

Wonder how this fact will effect I-Phones sales?

[Plutonic Panda]

Wonder how this fact will effect I-Phones sales?

When I found out about this, I seriously considered getting the 6plus. I am still going with the Note Edge, but that would be a nice feature to have.

[Chadanth]

I think you're missing the point, probably by confusing the particulars. What the guy was talking about is the ability to decrypt a phone that was lawfully acquired and if apple is served with a warrant. If you're talking about the NSA snooping on your emails, calls and texts, that's completely different, and would occur through the provider. The encryption on the device is irrelevant to them. It's only relevant to law enforcement when it's needed and legally authorized.

The debate about privacy from metadata collection is a separate issue (but still very important).

[BBatesokc]

I think you're missing the point, probably by confusing the particulars. What the guy was talking about is the ability to decrypt a phone that was lawfully acquired and if apple is served with a warrant. If you're talking about the NSA snooping on your emails, calls and texts, that's completely different, and would occur through the provider. The encryption on the device is irrelevant to them. It's only relevant to law enforcement when it's needed and legally authorized.

The debate about privacy from metadata collection is a separate issue (but still very important).

I'm not missing the point at all. I simply do not support the idea that Apple has to use an encryption that law enforcement (or even Apple) can break.

I don't care if law enforcement does have a warrant for my phone - Apple, nor I have an obligation to to provide access to that information.

I've seen far too many warrants simply rubber stamped by Oklahoma County judges and too many law officers willing to lie to get a warrant.

Does this mean a few criminals will not be caught? Probably. Am I concerned? Not at all when it certainly means the rights of millions of law abiding citizens are more protected because of it.

[Jersey Boss]

How to encrypt your Android phone or tablet

[Chadanth]

I'm not missing the point at all. I simply do not support the idea that Apple has to use an encryption that law enforcement (or even Apple) can break.

I don't care if law enforcement does have a warrant for my phone - Apple, nor I have an obligation to to provide access to that information.

I've seen far too many warrants simply rubber stamped by Oklahoma County judges and too many law officers willing to lie to get a warrant.

Does this mean a few criminals will not be caught? Probably. Am I concerned? Not at all when it certainly means the rights of millions of law abiding citizens are more protected because of it.

I fail to see how the rights of law abiding citizens will be protected. Again, the device encryption doesn't protect from the NSA or a title III wiretap. It doesn't protect from law enforcement snooping on your iCloud account. It doesn't stop creepers on reddit from hacking your cloud. It stops law enforcement with a lawful warrant from decrypting your device. That's pretty much it.

[Of Sound Mind]

I fail to see how the rights of law abiding citizens will be protected. Again, the device encryption doesn't protect from the NSA or a title III wiretap. It doesn't protect from law enforcement snooping on your iCloud account. It doesn't stop creepers on reddit from hacking your cloud. It stops law enforcement with a lawful warrant from decrypting your device. That's pretty much it.

And that suits me just fine. FBI has not been above overstepping its bounds... not by a long shot.

[BBatesokc]

I fail to see how the rights of law abiding citizens will be protected. Again, the device encryption doesn't protect from the NSA or a title III wiretap. It doesn't protect from law enforcement snooping on your iCloud account. It doesn't stop creepers on reddit from hacking your cloud. It stops law enforcement with a lawful warrant from decrypting your device. That's pretty much it.

You can cheerlead your 'lawful warrant' all you want. I see 'lawful warrants' rubber-stamped by Oklahoma County judges on a regular basis by law enforcement all too willing to exaggerate or outright lie to get that warrant justified.

Anytime you put more distance between law abiding citizens and law enforcement personnel you are protecting the rights of the citizenry IMO.

Warrants are too often a tool to try and find an actual crime to support a presumption of guilt that up to that point has no evidence.

I've seen homes torn upside down and cars disassembled on literally no viable evidence whatsoever - leaving the owners to deal with the mess, the grief and the cost.

I know exactly what it stops and I'm very glad for it.

[Plutonic Panda]

I've seen homes torn upside down and cars disassembled on literally no viable evidence whatsoever

Make sure you don't leave out toddlers getting their face disfigured by explosive tear gas grenades and then the county not paying a dime or even issuing so much as an apology

[Chadanth]

You can cheerlead your 'lawful warrant' all you want. I see 'lawful warrants' rubber-stamped by Oklahoma County judges on a regular basis by law enforcement all too willing to exaggerate or outright lie to get that warrant justified.

Anytime you put more distance between law abiding citizens and law enforcement personnel you are protecting the rights of the citizenry IMO.

Warrants are too often a tool to try and find an actual crime to support a presumption of guilt that up to that point has no evidence.

I've seen homes torn upside down and cars disassembled on literally no viable evidence whatsoever - leaving the owners to deal with the mess, the grief and the cost.

I know exactly what it stops and I'm very glad for it.

If that's the case, you should be helping those victims with lawsuits. Damages and recorders are the best chance you have of bringing better accountability, but device level encryption doesn't protect you from the privacy concerns most people are expressing, ala Snowden, etc.

[Plutonic Panda]

I like that Apple has done this and hope other companies follow suite.