FBI Director Christopher Wray on Encryption: We Can't Have an 'Entirely Unfettered Space Beyond the Reach of Law Enforcement'


macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001

Encryption should not provide an "unfettered space" for criminals to hide behind, FBI Director Christopher Wray said today in an interview at the RSA conference, a cybersecurity event in San Francisco.

As noted by CNET, Wray said that while the FBI is not seeking backdoors in electronics, encryption needs to have limitations.

"It can't be a sustainable end state for there to be an entirely unfettered space that's utterly beyond law enforcement for criminals to hide," Wray said, echoing a position that law enforcement officials have taken on encryption time and time again.

Apple and other technology companies have been clashing with law enforcement agencies like the FBI and fighting anti-encryption legislation for years now. Apple's most public battle with the U.S. government was in 2016, when the Cupertino company was ordered to help the FBI unlock the iPhone used by Syed Farook, a shooter in the 2015 attacks in San Bernardino.

Apple opposed the order and said that it would set a "dangerous precedent" with serious implications for the future of smartphone encryption. Apple held its ground and the U.S. government backed off after finding an alternate way to access the data on the device, but Apple is continually dealing with additional law enforcement attempts to weaken encryption.

Multiple tech companies, Apple included, have formed the Reform Government Surveillance coalition to promote strong device encryption and fight against legislation calling for backdoor access into electronic devices.

Apple has argued that strong encryption is essential for keeping its customers safe from hackers and other malicious entities. A backdoor created for government access would not necessarily remain in government hands and could put the company's entire customer base at risk.

During the interview, Wray said that encryption is a "provocative subject" and he provided no additional insight into how tech companies might provide strong encryption for customers while also acquiescing to law enforcement demands for device access.

Wray did say that the U.S. is seeing an uptick in threats from "various foreign adversaries" that are using criminal hackers, which suggests the need for strong encryption is greater than ever.


Article Link: FBI Director Christopher Wray on Encryption: We Can't Have an 'Entirely Unfettered Space Beyond the Reach of Law Enforcement'


macrumors 6502a
Mar 9, 2009
Even privacy advocates recognize that strong encryption is completely dangerous to society.


macrumors 68020
Jun 8, 2009
Just waiting for the FBI to say they have the need and right to scan my brain to get my private internal thoughts. [Guess what I am thinking now. See? You didn't need to weaken encryption.]

The idea that privacy is dangerous is lunacy, and there are other ways of collecting information than cracking encryption or using backdoors. Weakening encryption just allows governments to collect information indiscriminately on an industrial scale. I use the word 'governments', plural, advisedly. Anything the US government can crack other governments can crack as well.


macrumors 6502a
Aug 28, 2003
Not sure why these agencies feel it's their right to spy on private communications. I understand that they have gotten away with it in recent decades because technology has outpaced privacy, but at some point in history they did not have the ability to intercept all communication did they?


macrumors 68040
Apr 11, 2013
Washington D.C.
The deal to contest privacy was made several decades ago. This is not surprising. It's quite obvious to see the trend, and it's not a new thing, or coincidental at all.

A shame to see our liberties and power as citizens dwindle away as the country matures. It's happening everywhere though.


macrumors 68020
Jul 25, 2016
Apple is seeing a billions and billions of dollar opportunity. If it just was for privacy and no profits, Timmy wouldn’t put so much energy in it.

They both have a different agenda and goals. Apple and the fbi, and they both aren’t transparent in their real goals.


macrumors 68040
Mar 28, 2005
Headline reads like a manifesto for the thought police.

I think either they know what they are arguing for is impossible and dangerous to attempt but are pushing for as far as they can go for a strategy of 'reach for the stars and get to the moon' approach (get as much leeway as they can before oversight or limitations), or else it is worryingly, disturbingly inept and technologically illiterate.