US DOJ wants Facebook to help wiretap Messenger, report says
The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly pushing Facebook to disable or otherwise break end-to-end encryption in its Messenger text and voice messaging service as part of a criminal investigation into the MS-13 gang.
Citing sources familiar with an ongoing federal court case in California, Reuters reports the government is attempting to force Facebook into wiretapping Messenger in order to spy on a single person's voice conversations.
The social media giant has so far refused, saying the only way to comply with DOJ demands is to rewrite the encryption code that protects all Messenger users or, alternatively, hack the lone target.
Similar to other messaging products offered by major segment players, including Apple, Facebook's Messenger is end-to-end encrypted, meaning messages can only be viewed by sender and recipient. Messenger's end-to-end encryption technology was previously thought limited to a "Secret Conversations" feature that covers text, photos, and video and audio clips, but Facebook in court claims voice calls are also protected in the same manner.
In any case, Facebook is apparently unwilling to cooperate with the government and its investigation.
In response, prosecutors this week filed a motion to hold the tech company in contempt of court if it failed to comply with the surveillance request. The judge's ruling on the matter could impact the wider industry, as many firms field their own end-to-end encrypted solutions.
As noted by Reuters, if the court decides in favor of the government, the DOJ could use the case as precedent to force other companies to break their respective encryption solutions for surveillance purposes. Apple's iMessage and Facetime, the latter of which offers both video and voice calling, are end-to-end encrypted and would likely be viewed under the same legal auspices as Facebook's Messenger platform.
Apple faced similar issues when a federal judge ordered the company to assist Federal Bureau of Investigation officials in extracting data from a locked iPhone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. Though the agency was ultimately able to gain access to the phone with the help of an outside contractor, Apple's refusal to comply with government orders sparked a debate over consumer privacy and strong encryption.
As the Facebook case is proceeding under seal, documents and filings are not currently available for public viewing.
Citing sources familiar with an ongoing federal court case in California, Reuters reports the government is attempting to force Facebook into wiretapping Messenger in order to spy on a single person's voice conversations.
The social media giant has so far refused, saying the only way to comply with DOJ demands is to rewrite the encryption code that protects all Messenger users or, alternatively, hack the lone target.
Similar to other messaging products offered by major segment players, including Apple, Facebook's Messenger is end-to-end encrypted, meaning messages can only be viewed by sender and recipient. Messenger's end-to-end encryption technology was previously thought limited to a "Secret Conversations" feature that covers text, photos, and video and audio clips, but Facebook in court claims voice calls are also protected in the same manner.
In any case, Facebook is apparently unwilling to cooperate with the government and its investigation.
In response, prosecutors this week filed a motion to hold the tech company in contempt of court if it failed to comply with the surveillance request. The judge's ruling on the matter could impact the wider industry, as many firms field their own end-to-end encrypted solutions.
As noted by Reuters, if the court decides in favor of the government, the DOJ could use the case as precedent to force other companies to break their respective encryption solutions for surveillance purposes. Apple's iMessage and Facetime, the latter of which offers both video and voice calling, are end-to-end encrypted and would likely be viewed under the same legal auspices as Facebook's Messenger platform.
Apple faced similar issues when a federal judge ordered the company to assist Federal Bureau of Investigation officials in extracting data from a locked iPhone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook. Though the agency was ultimately able to gain access to the phone with the help of an outside contractor, Apple's refusal to comply with government orders sparked a debate over consumer privacy and strong encryption.
As the Facebook case is proceeding under seal, documents and filings are not currently available for public viewing.
Comments
It will be interesting to see when China and Russian asked for the same thing. Especially when they targeted American interest, like companies secrets and pro-US organization.
Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
To my mind, communicatIons via publicly accessible infrastructure, like telephone systems of old or the internet today, is fair game for government snooping because it’s when such communication takes place that an idea in one person’s head can be disseminated and turned to actions that could cause great harm to society. I wouldn’t be adverse to government requiring any business along that path, from one end to the other, to assist in making such communications accessible to a government search, and not just the encrypted packets. It’s when government wants a backdoor into a personal device that I object; I see such devices as sacrosanct, as an extension of a person’s very mind.
I don't understand why this hasn't already happened and I don't believe it matters whether the Republications or Democrats are in office. You can bring up the fourth amendment but even that doesn't matter because Congress and the States could kill this amendment and every other amendment any time it wanted to using something like the Patriot Act. I'm surprised we still are allowed to use any encryption, probably because very few of the people in power in DC actually understand anything about it. Technology has evolved way too fast for our feeble minds to adjust to and the biggest problem is we don't use our brains when we need to use them the most; during times of fear. This is what is causing all the problems in this world--fear. If we slowed down and didn't react so quickly we might be able to make rational decisions but that's not how people operate in today's world. Everything happens in a split second.
They are are not talking about wiretaps for a particular case; they want encryption broken permanently for one particular case. I take it you’ll be fine when the FBI demands that Apple breaks encryption on all their products for the same reason.
As for asking Facebook to be sleazy, let us just assume that this request is old and was already granted.
I suspect that's what they want anyway.
Here’s one for you. Years ago there was a murder in my town. A woman killed her boyfriend, chopped him up into pieces and put him in her garbage can. She was in an upstairs apartment. The downstairs apartment called the police because a red substance was leaking down her walls from upstairs. I wonder what that red substance was.The cops went upstairs to talk with the woman. While in her apartment one cop lifted the lid of her garbage can only to discover the dismembered body. The discovery of the body was ruled inadmissible evidence because the cop didn’t have a search warrant when he lifted the lid of the garbage can. Is that really what the fourth amendment was designed for?
There are still ways to get the data they need. Hidden microphones. Hidden cameras. IR laser listening. These might be a bit harder but they can still be very effective. These can also be used without putting the privacy and security of billions at risk.