FBI director calls for restart of smartphone encryption debate

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in iPhone
FBI Director James Comey appears ready to relaunch the debate about encryption legislation with tech companies before "something terrible happens," and alters the course of the discussion.




Speaking before the International Conference on Cyber Security in New York City last week, Comey says that governmental discussions will have to wait until the 2017 inauguration of a new president. "At some point encryption is going to figure into a major event in this country," Comey claimed. "We've got to have this conversation before that happens, because after that, the time for thoughtful reflection will be significantly reduced."

Comey said at the conference that he would have rather had the encryption debate with tech companies behind closed doors. However, also noted that he did understand why Apple chose litigation as a venue to start the conversation.

Of the 4,000 cellphones seized as potential evidence in the first six months of 2016, the FBI has been unable to break into 500 of them.

"Nobody has the high ground. Nobody is the Devil," Comey said, repeating a previous statement. "In this conversation, we all share the same values."

While cellphone whole-device encryption has been a problem for law enforcement since implementation, the debate took center-stage in the beginning of 2016. Investigators found a county-owned iPhone in the belongings following the December San Bernardino shootings, and were initially unable to penetrate the device. The FBI requested Apple assistance in unlocking the phone, and the judge attempted to compel Apple to do so.

In the midst of the encryption battle and hours before a schedule court hearing, the FBI found an alternate way to penetrate the iPhone. The hack cost the agency more than $1.34 million, according to Comey. No useful data was found.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 65
    DeelronDeelron Posts: 27member
    "Nobody has the high ground. Nobody is the Devil," Comey said, repeating a previous statement. "In this conversation, we all share the same values." No, we don't.
    edited August 2016 londorrob53nolamacguybdkennedy1002mac_dogcnocbuiFlukasMcDooglemartimus3060clemynxdesignr
  • Reply 2 of 65
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member
    Screw that guy, letting the #1 criminal go scot free.

    My trust in the FBI is approximately 0%.

    And something terrible is no doubt going to happen sooner rather than later, and I do not give a crap if the FBI can not hack into any phones. Something terrible happens approximately every 86 hours in Europe, sucks to be them I guess. B)

    I am currently supporting Russian hackers, Chinese hackers and hackers all over the world and wikileaks too to do what the FBI refused to do, bring justice! Let's see those emails! They're coming soon! It's going to be awesome! I can't wait! :#


    macseekerhodarmwhitetrollkillermac_doguraharamartimus3060jbdragonicoco3
  • Reply 3 of 65
    zebrazebra Posts: 35member
    I just don't understand the logic of this discussion.

    Assuming 100% of all smart phones had zero encryption, there would always be many third party applications that encrypt messages on the fly. Many of them are free and quite effective. Most such developers are not subject to American law. I see no way to stop them. So why burden iOS or Android with laws designed to weaken encryption? Such restrictions the FBI and other authorities want defy logic.

    What am I missing?
    Deelronuraharamartimus3060clemynxstevehjbdragonpalominebaconstangration alhoodslide
  • Reply 4 of 65
    adrayvenadrayven Posts: 460member
    zebra said:
    I just don't understand the logic of this discussion.

    Assuming 100% of all smart phones had zero encryption, there would always be many third party applications that encrypt messages on the fly. Many of them are free and quite effective. Most such developers are not subject to American law. I see no way to stop them. So why burden iOS or Android with laws designed to weaken encryption? Such restrictions the FBI and other authorities want defy logic.

    What am I missing?
    That this guy has NO clue as to what he's asking for. He admitted as much in the deposition with the house committee when they questioned Tim Cook, Him and others. He literally said, " I don't understand the details, I leave the technical stuff to others." If you're going to walk into a battle, you should have a least a FUNDAMENTAL idea of what the landscape is..
    hodarlondorDeelronmac_doguraharamartimus3060designrmagman1979latifbpjbdragon
  • Reply 5 of 65
    hodarhodar Posts: 357member

    But, all that really matters, anyway - is what their INTENTIONS were, right?  I mean, if the Government tramples over the US Constitution, everyone's freedoms our privacy and all of our rights - that's fine.  Just as long as they didn't INTEND to violate our rights, then things are just honkey-dory.

    That seems to be the level of logic this man is capable of digesting, whether you violate laws is really inconsequential; it's what the intentions were that really matter.  And he, alone is the arbitrator of what you really intended to do.  I guess he is not only the Director of the FBI, he is also a world class mind reader and armature time traveler.,

    apple ][londorDeelronmac_dogmartimus3060designrgtrbaconstangAni
  • Reply 6 of 65
    eideardeideard Posts: 428member
    Mail me a penny postcard when Comey goes to Congress and demands they get off their welfare king-and-queen couches and do something - anything - that reflects the needs of the blind fools who put them in office.  Not the creeps who pay for their endless backslapping campaigns.  I mean the taxpayers who pick up 99% of the tab.
    apple ][mac_doghoodslide
  • Reply 7 of 65
    Hey James,

    Shouldn't you be investigating the claims in "Clinton Cash" first?
    edited August 2016 apple ][mac_dogmartimus3060magman1979tallest skiljbdragon
  • Reply 8 of 65
    xmhillxxmhillx Posts: 112member
    The FBI was able to pay $1.3m to get into the particular phone. The FBI could ask for those specific funds in their yearly budget.

    Why have Apple make a back door to their general iOS intended for the government, yet available to everyone, when there are alternative ways to get into a phone rather than compromising the entire iOS. The juice isn't worth the squeeze, you bastards. You couldn't stop the entire world hacker community, professional and amateur, from constantly trying to break into the back door that would be KNOWN to exist for a fact. You think everyone's just going to ignore the #1 tech company in the world's purposely placed vulnerability? No, they wouldn't.

    The cherry on top is the FBI found no useful evidence on the phone they tried to use to as justification for judges to compel Apple to comply....... geezus.

    Before the FBI was able to pay to get into the phone, they said they had exhausted all other avenues and legally ordering Apple to make a back door was the only possible way left. It's madenning. 
    mac_dogmartimus3060Deelronlatifbpbaconstang
  • Reply 9 of 65
    slurpyslurpy Posts: 5,382member
    apple ][ said:
    Screw that guy, letting the #1 criminal go scot free.

    My trust in the FBI is approximately 0%.

    And something terrible is no doubt going to happen sooner rather than later, and I do not give a crap if the FBI can not hack into any phones. Something terrible happens approximately every 86 hours in Europe, sucks to be them I guess.

    I am currently supporting Russian hackers, Chinese hackers and hackers all over the world and wikileaks too to do what the FBI refused to do, bring justice! Let's see those emails! They're coming soon! It's going to be awesome! I can't wait!
    Noone gives a shit about what you think of Clinton, you're really an embarrassment with your foaming-at-the-mouth posts devoid of any logic or reason. You don't decide who is and isn't a criminal. You're also a traitor, for cheering on hacking attempts from foreign governments. And supporting a demagogue like Donald Trump who has yet to say a single sane thing this entire election cycle, besides his ignorant and hate-filled tirades.
    edited August 2016 ai46freerangeminicoffeeanomeiqatedoclemynxmagman1979creek0512drunkzombiestourque
  • Reply 10 of 65
    The FBI and NSA have proven over and over again that they can't be trusted by the American people. Or the rest of the world for that matter.

    mac_dogmattinozcnocbuimartimus3060clemynxdesignrgtrration al
  • Reply 11 of 65
    freerangefreerange Posts: 1,597member
    This Repugnantan clown just doesnt get it. You CAN NOT have a backdoor! Period.
    mac_doglatifbp
  • Reply 12 of 65
    freerangefreerange Posts: 1,597member
    apple ][ said:
    Screw that guy, letting the #1 criminal go scot free.

    My trust in the FBI is approximately 0%.

    And something terrible is no doubt going to happen sooner rather than later, and I do not give a crap if the FBI can not hack into any phones. Something terrible happens approximately every 86 hours in Europe, sucks to be them I guess. B)

    I am currently supporting Russian hackers, Chinese hackers and hackers all over the world and wikileaks too to do what the FBI refused to do, bring justice! Let's see those emails! They're coming soon! It's going to be awesome! I can't wait! :#


    Give it a rest! You have no idea what you are talking about. And like the moron "the Donald", you are now encouraging foreign entities to engage in espionage which is a treasonable offense. Aren't you the genius...
    Deelroncnocbuiiqatedoclemynxanton zuykovmagman1979creek0512boopthesnootstourquepalomine
  • Reply 13 of 65
    williamhwilliamh Posts: 1,032member
    I agree with a lot of what you all are saying, particularly with regard to the corruption going on.  But we ought to support his effort to engage in the debate before some national security or terror incident that involves encryption.  If the debate takes place when emotions are high, the citizens lose. At least now it might be possible to have a reasoned discussion. 
  • Reply 14 of 65
    "Nobody has the high ground. Nobody is the Devil," Comey said. People who hold the high ground never say things like that. Never. People who hold the low ground frequently do. Since its founding, the FBI has spied on literally thousands of Americans accused of no crime. The FBI used that information to blackmail top government officials and leading American citizens. Let's strike a deal. If I can monitor Mr. Comedy's communications, then he can monitor mine. Let's get started right now by recording 100% of FBI communications and hiring an independent agency (with subpoena power) to monitor them. No Constitutional issues are raised by bringing government officials under control.
    martimus3060anton zuykovlatifbpaylkAni
  • Reply 15 of 65
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    "Nobody has the high ground. Nobody is the Devil," Comey said. People who hold the high ground never say things like that. Never. People who hold the low ground frequently do. Since its founding, the FBI has spied on literally thousands of Americans accused of no crime. The FBI used that information to blackmail top government officials and leading American citizens. Let's strike a deal. If I can monitor Mr. Comedy's communications, then he can monitor mine. Let's get started right now by recording 100% of FBI communications and hiring an independent agency (with subpoena power) to monitor them. No Constitutional issues are raised by bringing government officials under control.
    Comey to underling: "get me that stantheman dossier, stat".
  • Reply 16 of 65
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    FFS!

    tallest skilpalomine
  • Reply 17 of 65
    "Comey said at the conference that he would have rather had the encryption debate with tech companies behind closed doors. However, also noted that he did understand why Apple chose litigation as a venue to start the conversation." -- I think the reason "Apple chose litigation as a venue to start the conversation" is that Comey slapped them with a federal warrant. Comey is just praying for a major terrorist attack so he can get his unconstitutional legislation through. It has little to do with terrorism in the first place. We need to get this guy out of there. He is literally criminally insane.
    SpamSandwichmartimus3060anton zuykovgtrlatifbppalomineration alhoodslide
  • Reply 18 of 65
    Conversation already happened, The Director wasn't listening. 
    clemynxanton zuykovlatifbppalomineAnihoodslide
  • Reply 19 of 65
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    Probably wants a backdoor so he can gather dirt on all the politicians so he can blackmail them and run the show like his predecessor, Hoover.
    aylkAni
  • Reply 20 of 65
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    apple ][ said:
    Screw that guy, letting the #1 criminal go scot free.

    My trust in the FBI is approximately 0%.

    And something terrible is no doubt going to happen sooner rather than later, and I do not give a crap if the FBI can not hack into any phones. Something terrible happens approximately every 86 hours in Europe, sucks to be them I guess. B

    I am currently supporting Russian hackers, Chinese hackers and hackers all over the world and wikileaks too to do what the FBI refused to do, bring justice! Let's see those emails! They're coming soon! It's going to be awesome! I can't wait!


    Foaming at the mouth more and more. We're going to see the eyes glaze over soon.
    edited August 2016 magman1979pscooter63latifbppalomineration al
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