The Federal Bureau of Investigation desperately wants access to the contents of your smartphone.
So much so, in fact, that the organization's director spoke out about what he described as a major problem, namely encrypting your phone.
Speaking at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Director Christopher Wray expressed concern about the FBI's inability to access data from about 6,900 mobile devices. According to the Associated Press, that number represents more than half of all the devices the agency has attempted to access.
“To put it simply, this is a huge, huge problem,” the agency in the comments. “It impacts all investigations – drugs, human trafficking, counterterrorism, gangs, organized crime, child exploitation.”
This issue, however, is particularly delicate, as it refers to sensitive personal data. Especially considering the service's history in such matters. For example, when it tried to force Apple to unlock an iPhone - claiming that it was unable to do so without the help of the company's technology - while it did so without Apple's help in the end.
So it seems that the FBI is trying, with words intended to instill fear, to promote an anti-encryption program. But weakening the protective means on your smartphone means that your data is put at risk.
It is important that Wray specifically addressed the encryption of seized devices and not communications in transit, which means the FBI can monitor the messages exchanged by suspected criminals.
Ultimately, law enforcement will always seek access to more data, and the FBI is expected to continue pushing against consumer privacy safeguards. But that doesn't mean we should take this pressure seriously.
