The Hill: Lawmakers should accept reality that digital communication can never be ‘too secure’

The Hill: Lawmakers should accept reality that digital communication can never be ‘too secure’ by Chris Howell:

The balance between security and privacy is more delicate than ever. Faced with global terrorism threats, the American people and courts have largely accepted infringements like warrantless bag searches in mass transit systems as a necessary evil. On the other hand, growing cyber risks and continuous misuse of user data by service providers have evoked visceral public reactions to practices resembling “mass surveillance,” influencing tech companies to beef up security in their offerings and the Supreme Court to rule in favor of stronger privacy protections.

The latest tide of data protection improvements in communication apps and devices has fueled what may be the loudest security vs. privacy debate about whether the U.S. government can mandate extraordinary access or so-called “backdoors” in every technology to circumvent the progress the industry has made in protecting personal and business data. And while the majority of voices are debating the “can we” issue, the question of “should we” deserves as much if not more attention.

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