Is technology to blame for the Paris attacks?
That’s a question I ask in a column today. Encryption is in the spotlight even though there have been no confirmed reports that encrypted communication was used to plan the attacks.
But increasingly, law enforcement is worried about terrorists’ ability to bring in new recruits via social media, then “go dark” by communicating with encryption to plan attacks.
Adding to the alarm, NBC News reported that ISIS has a 24-hour Jihadi help desk to help recruits spread the word. “They are now operating at the speed of cyberspace rather than the speed of person-to-person communications,” a counter terrorism analyst said.
Ben Lovejoy, in an opinion piece in 9to5 Mac, said that Apple, which has built in “end-to-end” encryption in iMessages and FaceTime technology, as well as strong encryption for its iPhone and iPad, should hold firm against government pressure:
Weakening encryption would mean sacrificing core principles of civilized societies in the name of security. It would provide not just our own government but foreign governments and criminals with access to our data. And it would do absolutely nothing to prevent terrorists from communicating in secret.
Some of my own readers have echoed Lovejoy’s position. Wrote one:
You are 100% correct technology is being used a scapegoat. Instead of law enforcement looking at getting better at their jobs they want to blame .
But another, who described herself as a senior citizen, said idealism may have to be sacrificed when there is a real threat that is difficult to ascertain:
The tragedies we experienced and/or witnessed were searing but what is in the immediate future and in YOUR future is even more frightening as offers anonymity and distance to barbaric murderers. For the first time, I welcome my old age.
Above: The Eiffel Tower is illuminated with the colors of the French flag in tribute to the victims of the November 13, 2015 Paris terror attacks. (ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images)
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