{"id":4466,"date":"2015-01-16T10:00:39","date_gmt":"2015-01-16T15:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=4466"},"modified":"2020-02-26T18:59:32","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T14:59:32","slug":"cameron-against-encryption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/cameron-against-encryption\/4466\/","title":{"rendered":"David Cameron against Encryption"},"content":{"rendered":"

Push me, and then decrypt me, till you can get law satisfaction<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cBritish Prime Minister David Cameron to ban encrypted messengers\u201d -Headlines like this have been\u00a0popping up , both in major dailies and lesser known\u00a0websites.<\/p>\n

\"DC\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ah, reading headlines like\u00a0that is a pleasure. Opinions vary from \u201cLet\u2019s protect Great Britain from tragedies like a terror act in Paris (if desired, sprinkle this concoction with a bit of patriotism and over-enthusiasm)\u201d to \u201cAaaaargh, the end is near! All encryption will be banned now! (add a couple of dystopia horror stories here)\u201d.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/twitter.com\/robaeprice\/status\/554700037520109568<\/p>\n

Curiously, neither are true. So, what EXACTLY has happened? Nothing at all: Cameron has just asked a simple question<\/a> while delivering one of his keynotes: \u201cDo we want to allow a means of communication between people which, even in extremes, with a signed warrant from the home secretary personally, we cannot read?\u201d. He has answered no. He said, we don\u2019t, and should conservatives (including himself) win the next parliamentary elections, he will do his best to ensure there is legislation in place to stop this mischief.<\/p>\n

The media, has, of course, twisted this quote and tampered with it again and again in their headlines. Firstly, Cameron never mentioned encryption. But everyone would like to think this was exactly<\/em> what he meant. This\u00a0is not the time to start panicking.<\/p>\n

Secondly, there is one nasty little law<\/a> in Britain, which already deals with encryption. In a nutshell, if a file you possess is encrypted, then by rule of court you have to provide a key or another means of decryption. No one cares if you have the necessary key or not, or if you possess any encrypted data. Once you cannot present the key when asked, brace yourself for a penalty or even jail. Now, add one and two and get\u2026<\/p>\n

\n

David Cameron seeks cooperation of US president over encryption crackdown http:\/\/t.co\/00G1F0IdSg<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The Guardian (@guardian) January 15, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n