Privacy News German Police to Bypass Encryption by Hacking Devices

[frogboy]

German police are set to make use of new laws to hack the devices of criminal suspects in order to monitor communications, bypassing the need to force tech companies to provide encryption backdoors.

Local media reports referencing Interior Ministry documents claimed that law enforcers will be able to make use of new Remote Communication Interception Software (RCIS) to target Android, iOS and BlackBerry mobiles.

The idea is to hack into suspects’ devices in order to read communications at source. This would seem to be a neat way of monitoring targets without the need to engage with providers of services like WhatsApp, iMessage and Telegram.

Tech companies including Facebook and Apple have been steadfast in refusing to engineer backdoors for law enforcers – arguing that it would undermine security for millions of innocent users and businesses. As most are based in the US, it’s unlikely that the German government alone could do anything about it.

Full Article. German Police to Bypass Encryption by Hacking Suspects’ Devices

 

[codswollip]

Not much different than this...
China Forces Muslim Minority to Install Spyware on Their Phones

Big Brother is coming harder each day/

 

[Arequire]

Not much different than this...
China Forces Muslim Minority to Install Spyware on Their Phones

Big Brother is coming harder each day/

Completely different. It's targeted surveillance against those who are already under investigation for potential crime.

China's process is mass surveillance against an entire group of people irrespective of any wrongdoing.

 

[kamla5abi]

Completely different. It's targeted surveillance against those who are already under investigation for potential crime.

China's process is mass surveillance against an entire group of people irrespective of any wrongdoing.

agreed these 2 scenarios are very different in who they target
sounds pretty similar to C1A or N5A or FB1 targeting americans
I'm sure the "criminal suspects" who they will target is just to appease the media etc
In reality, that description is so broad that they could pretty much target anyone thanks to the "suspects" wording

 

[codswollip]

In reality, that description is so broad that they could pretty much target anyone thanks to the "suspects" wording

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

—Martin Niemöller

 

[Fritz]

As most are based in the US, it’s unlikely that the German government alone could do anything about it.

Thank <insert preferred deity here>.

While going after specific individuals by way of an official court order is certainly reasonable, backdoors in general weaken seurity for everybody and will eventually come back to bite us in the posterior, no doubt about it.