19 votes

Australian Criminal Intelligence Agency looking to expand it's intelligence gathering powers by claiming that criminals use encrypted platforms 'almost exclusively'

Posted by gco
Tags: privacy, australia, crime, criminal intelligence agency, policing, encryption, intelligence services, author.justin hendry
https://www.itnews.com.au/news/crims-using-encrypted-platforms-almost-exclusively-acic-claims-564255

6 comments

  1. [5]
    gco
    Link
    Hard to put into words how frustrating this is. In the PDF, there are statements in the same paragraph that seem to be at odds with one another.

    Hard to put into words how frustrating this is.

    In the PDF, there are statements in the same paragraph that seem to be at odds with one another.

    Encryption and anonymising technologies have a valuable role in protecting the privacy and data of Australians. As such, the ACIC notes new powers cannot be exclusively focused on subverting encryption and anonymising technologies.

    ACIC observation shows there is no legitimate reason for a law-abiding member of the community to own or use an encrypted communication platform.

    18 votes
    1. [2]
      Thrabalen
      Link Parent
      "If you've got nothing to hide you've got nothing to worry about." Conveniently ignoring that broad-reaching privacy invasion protocols are, themselves, something to worry about.

      ACIC observation shows there is no legitimate reason for a law-abiding member of the community to own or use an encrypted communication platform.

      "If you've got nothing to hide you've got nothing to worry about." Conveniently ignoring that broad-reaching privacy invasion protocols are, themselves, something to worry about.

      15 votes
      1. elcuello
        Link Parent
        That quote makes my fucking blood boil. If this was my country I would be absolutely furious.

        That quote makes my fucking blood boil. If this was my country I would be absolutely furious.

        2 votes
    2. [2]
      stu2b50
      Link Parent
      Not that it makes it much better, but it seems that they label a very specific subset of messaging apps as "encrypted communication platform" So I suppose that's how the contradiction is resolved:...

      Not that it makes it much better, but it seems that they label a very specific subset of messaging apps as "encrypted communication platform"

      "The ACIC does not support the use of dedicated encrypted communications platforms which can only be used to communicate with similar devices, such as SkyECC, Encrochat and Phantom Secure," a spokesperson said.

      "These platforms were developed specifically to obscure the identities of the user, which enables communication within closed networks to facilitate highly sophisticated criminal activity."

      So I suppose that's how the contradiction is resolved: iMessage? Sure. Whatever SkyECC and Encrochat are? Den of villains!

      6 votes
      1. joplin
        Link Parent
        Well that's just the starting position of the Overton Window, isn't it? Right now it's "just SkyECC and Encrochat," but next year, it's "Signal and Telegram, too," and then eventually it's "What's...

        Well that's just the starting position of the Overton Window, isn't it? Right now it's "just SkyECC and Encrochat," but next year, it's "Signal and Telegram, too," and then eventually it's "What's App" and "Messages", and finally nobody can have any encryption.

        8 votes
  2. dedime
    (edited )
    Link
    I'm waiting for the ban on the one-time pad. Gee, sir, I see you have a block of random characters in your notebook. You wouldn't happen to be practicing... encryption... would you? Like math? Off...

    I'm waiting for the ban on the one-time pad. Gee, sir, I see you have a block of random characters in your notebook. You wouldn't happen to be practicing... encryption... would you? Like math? Off to the brig!

    6 votes