In recent years, encryption has become more commonplace, with most websites now protected with HTTPS (a security extension to Hypertext Transfer Protocol, or HTTP). Millions of users worldwide are using end-to-end encrypted messaging applications, more services have encryption turned on by default, and there’s greater public awareness of encryption as an important security tool.
However, the increasingly secure nature of Internet communications has also prompted renewed calls for law enforcement to gain access to encrypted communications and data. If allowed, such access would jeopardize the security of virtually everyone online. Access to encrypted messages and data can’t just be granted to the “good guys.” A backdoor to encrypted communications is an opening for anyone to exploit, even the “bad guys” — be they criminals or hostile governments. With access, they could eavesdrop on sensitive communications, putting all of us at risk. Simply put, granting access to the good guys only makes is easier for the bad guys to get access, too.
At the Internet Society, we believe that encryption is an essential part of the trusted Internet. It underpins many sensitive activities online, providing security to online transactions to the finance industry and protecting users’ information from cyber criminals and state actors. We advocate for ubiquitous encryption, and oppose government proposals and business models that would weaken encryption or otherwise undermine the security of digital systems.
