It has been a little while since government officials around the world last mentioned encryption backdoors. This discussion is brought to the forefront once again by Emmanuel Macron, one of the many French Presidential hopefuls. His goal is to force US tech companies into creating encryption backdoors. So far, no one gives his plan any chance of succeeding, yet the French public seems to be gobbling up the news regardless.
Yet Another Encryption Backdoor Debate
For some unknown reason, governments around the world continue to believe encryption backdoors are the right way to go. Even though weakening encryption is never the answer to any problem, French Presidential hopeful Emmanuel Macron feels differently. In fact, he vowed to make US tech companies insert encryption backdoors per his request, assuming he becomes the next President of France.
This latest message has gotten macron a fair bit of support from the French public, even though there are quite a few industry experts who oppose his ideas. Some US residents may remember the name of Emmanuel Macron, as he tried to poke holes in President Trump’s anti-climate change stance. Moreover, he also vowed how France would welcome “dejected” US scientists with open arms. A rather controversial statement, although the French population seemed to take a liking to it.
Up until this point, Macron has never been too vocal about anti-terrorism regulations. For some unknown reason, he suddenly decided that encryption backdoors are an absolute must, especially where US tech companies are concerned. It seems evident the relationship between the US and France has taken quite a beating over the past few months, as this is more of a political statement rather than an actual threat.
To be more specific, Macron feels now is a good time to sacrifice security and privacy in the fight against terrorism. One of his proposals revolves around legally compelling social media companies to give authorities access to encrypted messages. This would only apply to terrorist suspects, but then again, anyone can be a terrorist suspect in this regard. Among the companies he wants to “talk to” are Facebook, Twitter, Apple, and Google.
If the European Union were to undermine encryption, a lot of irreparable damage can be done in quick succession. Tech companies should continue to oppose government requirements when it comes to weakening encryption, as it is in nobody’s best interest. It is not unlikely a lot of US companies would leave the European market if push came to shove, though.
One thing to keep in mind is how Macron is not on the shortlist of potential future French President candidates. While he is still in the running, his chance of succeeding is “moderate at best”. Then again, one never knows how things will play out when it comes to politics. Additionally, the French regulators would need to comply with Macron’s desire to create encryption backdoors, which seems highly unlikely at this point.
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