EncryptionSen. Wyden said he would filibuster efforts to mandate back doors

Published 31 March 2016

Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), a critic of the NSA domestic spying programs, said he would filibuster any attempt by fellow lawmakers to require U.S. technology companies to weaken the encryption systems with which they equip their devices. Referring to Apple fight against a court order requiring the company to relax the encryption of iPhone used by the two San Bernardino terrorists, Wyden said that consumers were asking: “Are these for the privacy rights of the dead terrorist?”

Senator Ron Wyden at the Port of Portland // Source: commons.wikimedia.com

Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon), a critic of the NSA domestic spying programs, said he would filibuster any attempt by fellow lawmakers to require U.S. technology companies to weaken the encryption systems with which they equip their devices.

Speaking at RightsCon, a privacy-focused technology conference in San Francisco organized by AccessNow, Wyden said he would “use my power as a United States senator” to block any bill “that would threaten to weaken strong encryption.”

The Daily Mail reports that in an interview with the Guardian, Wyden said he was referring to an effort by two of his Senate intelligence committee colleagues, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) Senator Richard Burr R-North Carolina), to craft legislation which would regulate what customer devices’ data tech firms would be required to provide law enforcement, even if the data is encrypted.

The two senators have said that they are close to make the bill public and are waiting for feedback from the White House. In the interview, Wyden said he still had not seen any bill text.

During a 2013 intelligence committee hearing with James Clapper, director of U.S. intelligence, Wyden asked whether the NSA collected data on millions of Americans. Clapper replied, “No, sir. Not wittingly” – an answer which was not true. Wyden was also a major actor in in batting down Internet copyright legislation – SOPA PIPA – to which technology companies objected.

Wyden acknowledged that the technology industry has a long way to go to educate consumers on the topic of encryption and law enforcement.

Referring to Apple fight against a court order requiring the company to relax the encryption of iPhone used by the two San Bernardino terrorists, Wyden said that consumers were asking: “Are these for the privacy rights of the dead terrorist?”

“I’m not setting up a dead terrorist caucus,” he added. “This is about more security versus less security.”