The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recently announced that it has filed a lawsuit against the FBI seeking to learn how the agency to access information stored on encrypted devices.
The FBI is said to often turn to services to gain access to information stored on encrypted devices. However, recent court documents have revealed that the agency's Electronic Device Analysis Unit (EDAU) has solutions that can help crack encrypted devices without the help of third parties.
The ACLU filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, hoping to obtain more information about the capabilities and technologies that EDAU uses for this purpose. However, the FBI provided what is known as a “Glomar response,” which indicates that the agency is unwilling to either confirm or deny the existence of any records related to EDAU, let alone share details about its capabilities.
On the other hand, the ACLU does not accept the FBI 's response and has asked a federal court to order the Department of Justice and the FBI to hand over documents related to EDAU.
According to the ACLU, the FBI's Glomar response is invalid because it is already known that files related to EDAU exist. This basic information about the FBI's analysis unit has already been made public. Therefore, the FBI cannot deny their existence.
“By citing the Glomar response, the federal government is sending a clear message: Its goal is to keep the American public in the dark about its ability to access information stored on our personal devices.” However, more troubling, according to the ACLU, is that the FBI is not only not disclosing details about its capabilities and methods, but is also trying to deny their existence. “Thepublic should have meaningful access to these records about the federal government’s ability to get into our phones and computers. Our privacy and security are at stake.”
Officials in the US and all countries belonging to the so-called Five Eyes have been trying, lately, to convince/force technology companies that develop encrypted communication applicationsto include a backdoor that would make it easier for authorities to access users to conduct investigations.
The FBI has stated several times that its investigations are hampered by strong encryption. However, in many cases the FBI has been able to access data on encrypted devices.
Security experts have long argued that implementing backdoors could compromise user privacy, as they could be exploited not only by authorities but also by cybercriminals.
Source: Security Week
