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That was the central argument made by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) when he introduced the “Lawful Access to Encrypted Data Act” in summer 2019. And it was an understandable filing, particularly for adherents to a “law and order” approach to policy. Too bad it’s entirely out of line with modern understandings of encrypted data. Advertisement Hide
For Graham, this bill was the key to unlocking various devices that could not previously be taken or appropriated by both security and law enforcement alike.
It was also the exact opposite of what every tech expert sees as a good policy idea. One Stanford cybersecurity fellow described the bill as a “nuclear assault on encryption.”’ Another described it as building a literal backdoor for cybercriminals and foreign agencies to steal U.S. data. The failed bill also stretches its legal authority to regulate Section 230, the infamous legal text that protects much of