As if banning encryption was not bad enough, a recent bill called the Graham-Blumenthal Bill is aimed at breaking encryption. It completely undermines the law allowing free speech on the internet. Not only would this hinder free speech, it would also destroy the security of all citizens. Encryption is extremely important to protect our private information online. Government agencies need to realize that not all encrypted traffic is malicious. The argument that “if you are using encryption, you are doing something bad” is complete and utter nonsense. Your bank account information and transactions are encrypted when you do online banking, what would happen if these were not encrypted and visible to anyone watching the connection? Due to the close relationship between policymakers and law-enforcement, they may have difficulty understanding how legislation like this can impact civil liberties. Many law enforcement agencies want more control and have always acted very authoritarian, unfortunately, they tend to pass this on to those in charge of making the big decisions. It is important to do everything possible to ensure legislation like the Graham-Blumenthal Bill does not get passed. Encryption has to stay, as it is necessary, it also can’t be blamed for the malicious actions of people. It is only an algorithm.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/03/graham-blumenthal-bill-new-path-doj-finally-break-encryption
LIS 4022 Spring 2020 