A Better Future With Secret Codes

Dec 14, 2021

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We don’t always think about what it means to have the information on our devices stay secure, and it may seem like the locks on our phones are enough to keep our private lives private. But there is increasing pressure from law enforcement to leave a back door open on our encrypted devices. Meanwhile, other government agencies, including consumer protection agencies, want more secure devices. We dive into the nuances of the battle to secure our data and our lives, and consider what the future would be like if we can finally end the “crypto wars” and tackle other problems in society. On this episode, hosts Cindy Cohn and Danny O’Brien are joined by Riana Pfeffercorn from Stanford’s Centre for Internet and Society to talk about device encryption and why it’s important.

If you have any feedback on this episode, please email podcast@eff.org. Please visit the site page at https://eff.org/pod105 where you’ll find resources – including links to important legal cases and research discussed in the podcast and a full transcript of the audio.

In this episode you’ll learn about:

Different types of data law enforcement try to gather information from, including “at rest” and “in transit” data.
The divide between law enforcement, national security and intelligence communities regarding their stance on strong encryption and backdoors on devices.
How the First Amendment plays a role in cryptography and the ability for law enforcement to try to force companies to build certain code into their software.
How strong encryption and device security empowers users to voice their thoughts freely.

Riana Pfefferkorn is a Research Scholar at the Stanford Internet Observatory. She focuses on investigating and analyzing the U.S. and other governments’ policies and practices for forcing decryption and/or influencing crypto-related design of online platforms and services via technical means and through courts and legislatures. Riana also researches the benefits and detriments of strong encryption on free expression, political engagement, and more. You can find Riana Pfefferkorn on Twitter @Riana_Crypto.

If you have any feedback on this episode, please email podcast@eff.org. You can find a copy of this episode on the Internet Archive.

This podcast is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation's Program in Public Understanding of Science and Technology.

This podcast is licensed Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, and includes the following music licensed Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported by their creators:

Drops of H2O ( The Filtered Water Treatment ) by J.Lang (c) copyright 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) Unported license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/djlang59/37792 Ft: Airtone