FBI blasts Apple, Google for locking police out of phones

Washington Post ^ | September 25, 2014 | Craig Timberg and Greg Miller

[re_tail20]

FBI Director James B. Comey sharply criticized Apple and Google on Thursday for developing forms of smartphone encryption so secure that law enforcement officials cannot easily gain access to information stored on the devices — even when they have valid search warrants.

His comments were the most forceful yet from a top government official but echo a chorus of denunciation from law enforcement officials nationwide. Police have said that the ability to search photos, messages and Web histories on smartphones is essential to solving a range of serious crimes, from murder to child pornography to attempted terrorist attacks.

“There will come a day when it will matter a great deal to the lives of people…that we will be able to gain access” to such devices, Comey told reporters in a briefing. “I want to have that conversation [with companies responsible] before that day comes.”

Comey added that FBI officials already have made initial contact with the two companies, which announced their new smartphone encryption initiatives last week. He said he could not understand why companies would “market something expressly to allow people to place themselves beyond the law.”

Comey’s remarks followed news last week that Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 8, is so thoroughly encrypted that the company is unable to unlock iPhones or iPads for police. Google, meanwhile, is moving to an automatic form of encryption for its newest version of Android operating system that the company also will not be able to unlock, though it will take longer for that new feature to reach most consumers.

Both companies, contacted Thursday afternoon, declined to offer immediate reaction to Comey’s comments.

For detectives working a tough case, few types of evidence are more revealing than a smartphone...

[Joe Boucher]

The fbi like the irs is dirty under holder and obammy.
NO CONFIDENCE.

[kevkrom]

With the processing power we have available today, there is no reason not to use anything less than 256 bit (or equivalent) keys or more unless you are doing real-time encryption of phone calls or something.

Even then, your lesser-strength one-time key should be encrypted and sent to the other party using the higher encryption setting.