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Apple has long advocated strong encryption on the device, including its iPhone and iOS operating system. This has often frustrated law enforcement agencies in the United States and abroad, many of whom claim that the company's encryption tools and policies allow criminals to avoid capture by hiding communications. and protecting data from investigators.
In a letter to the Australian government, Apple says that encryption is in fact a benefit and a public good that will only strengthen our protection against cyber attacks and terrorism. In Apple's eyes, encryption makes everyone's devices harder to hack and less vulnerable to takeovers, viruses, and other malicious attacks that can compromise personal and business security. as well as infrastructure and public services. Apple specifically responds to the Australian Parliament's Access and Support Bill, which was introduced late last month and aims to help the government gain easier access to criminals' devices and data when active investigations.
"The devices you carry contain not only personal emails, health information and photos, but also companies, infrastructure and other essential services. Vital infrastructure, such as power grids and transportation hubs, becomes more vulnerable when individual devices are hacked, "reads the letter, available online on a website hosted by the Australian Parliament. "Criminals and terrorists who want to infiltrate systems and disrupt sensitive networks can begin their attacks by accessing the smartphone of one person. Faced with these threats, the moment has not come to weaken the encryption. There is a significant risk of facilitating the employment of criminals, no more difficult. Increasingly powerful – and not weaker – encryption is the best way to protect against these threats. "
Part of the Assistance and Access Bill would involve "setting up frameworks" for assistance from the telecommunications and technology industries in ongoing investigations of encrypted data and devices. The bill also calls for stronger search warrants and "modern warrants for the digital age," which could mean mandates that require companies to bypass encryption or use backdoors and backboards. other methods to provide government agencies with easier access to data stored on devices and the cloud.
Apple does not flatly condemn the bill in this case. He says, however, that "the bill remains dangerously ambiguous with respect to encryption and security." Apple's letter advocates a less ambiguous language and a "strong mandate forbidding the weakening of encryption or security protections." Point by point, in criticizing six key themes, the company says it has indicated in the bill that it wants clarification. These include "too broad" government powers that could weaken security and encryption; a lack of judicial review; technical requirements that are based on the government's "subjective concept of reasonableness and practicality"; what Apple calls "unprecedented interception requirements"; security mandates Apple thinks "choke unnecessarily"; and a global reach that could impact businesses, citizens and corporations far beyond Australia.
Since the long confrontation between Apple and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) starting in 2016 about unlocking the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, the company has touted its commitment to privacy and user safety and its willingness to use the courts to prevent any breach of the law. control agencies have too broad access or tools that can undermine encryption. Apple's argument has always been that these tools, although they can be created solely to help governments, could fall into the wrong hands and weaken security and privacy around the world. The company reaffirms this view in its letter to the Australian Parliament: "Future software innovations will depend on the basics of enhanced device security. Allowing these protections to be weakened in any way slows down our pace of progress and puts everyone at risk. "
Here is the full letter:
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