Paris Attacks Could Renew Debate Over Encrypted Messaging Apps
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Should tech companies be required to allow law enforcement a "back door" to encrypted communications on messaging apps like Facebook-owned WhatsAPP?
The Paris attacks could reignite this long running debate.
Law enforcement officials have linked terrorist groups -- like ISIS and encrypted apps, saying militants use them to communicate and recruit. But tech companies say there's no way to let the FBI take a look at communications over messaging apps without potentially opening a back door for other people like a hacker or foreign spies.
Cybersecurity expert Dr. Rob D'Ovidio says the debate around encryption is not new.
"The argument for back door is basically accountability," he says. "The government wants to ensure that if you're using these tools for malicious purpose we're going to be able to find out, we're going to be able to catch you."
The argument against the "back door" is that no one with bad intentions, like terrorists, child predators, and organized crime, is going to use them -- they'll find something else.
"These policies will do nothing other than make U.S. companies less competitive in the marketplace," D'Ovidio says, "because no one is going to adopt their tools."
D'Ovidio says just because someone is using an encrypted app, it doesn't mean the government can gather good intelligence.
"They can always conduct a traffic analysis that's looking at the metadata, identifying who's communicating with who, the times they're communicating," he says. "It can be very helpful to creating a picture of the person's criminal network."
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey says there will come a time when there will be no chatter to listen to from a sophisticated terrorist network.
"They're using these very sophisticated encryption devices, Ramsey says. "Even if you serve the company with a subpoena, they can't even penetrate it because they can't crack the code. That's dangerous."
Ramsey says there needs to be some legislation passed that doesn't allow that to happen.
