Microsoft, Apple, and Google urge President Obama to throw support behind smartphone encryption

Several technology companies, including Microsoft, Apple, and Google, have signed a letter to President Obama calling for him to reject measure that would weaken encryption and security in smartphones and other devices. Companies like Facebook and Dropbox have also joined in. The letter urges the President to instead encourage the wide adoption of encryption on consumer devices.

From the letter:

We urge you to reject any proposal that U.S. companies deliberately weaken the security of their products. We request that the White House instead focus on developing policies that will promote rather than undermine the wide adoption of strong encryption technology. Such policies will in turn help to promote and protect cybersecurity, economic growth, and human rights, both here and abroad.

This letter, also signed by numerous security experts, follows several calls by law enforcement officials for companies to make it easier for agencies to access data on consumer devices. Recent security measures make it more difficult for outside parties to gain access to your data, including law enforcement.

Despite professional rivalries, smartphone encryption and security is an issue that often unites these companies. Apple, Google, and others have often banded together, such as their attempts to curb wide-scale NSA phone surveillance.

Read the entire letter right here

Source: The Washington Post

Joseph Keller