US top cop decries encryption, demands backdoors

US Attorney General Eric Holder

Attorney General Eric Holder, the US top law enforcement official, said it is "worrisome" that tech companies are providing default encryption on consumer electronics. Locking the authorities out of being able to physically access the contents of devices puts children at risk, he said.

Holder's remarks, while he did not mention any particular company by name, come two weeks after Apple announced its new iPhone 6 models would be equipped with data encryption that prevents authorities from accessing the contents of the phone. At the same time, Google said its upcoming Android operating system will also have default encryption.

The encryption decision by two of the world's biggest names in tech is a bid to gain the trust of customers in the wake of the Edward Snowden surveillance revelations.

Holder said he wants a backdoor to defeat encryption. He urged the tech sector "to work with us to ensure that law enforcement retains the ability, with court-authorization, to lawfully obtain information in the course of an investigation, such as catching kidnappers and sexual predators."

Recent technological advances have the potential to greatly embolden online criminals, providing new methods for abusers to avoid detection. In some cases, perpetrators are using cloud storage to cheaply and easily store tens of thousands of images and videos outside of any home or businessand to access those files from anywhere in the world. Many take advantage of encryption and anonymizing technology to conceal contraband materials and disguise their locations.

The attorney generalwho plansto step down from the position he has held for six years as soon as a successor takes officeis the highest-ranking member of the President Barack Obama administration to assail encryption in the wake of the Apple and Google announcements.

James Comey, the Federal Bureau of Investigation director, last week said he was concerned aboutthe marketing of smart phones that can't be physically searched by law enforcement.

"What concerns me about this is companies marketing something expressly to allow people to place themselves beyond the law," Comey said. He said the bureau has reached out to Apple and Google "to understand what they're thinking and why they think it makes sense."

It seems that the law is on the tech sector's side, however.

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US top cop decries encryption, demands backdoors