London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Facebook pretends to clashes with Justice Department "over encryption"

Facebook pretends to clashes with Justice Department "over encryption"

Facebook is resisting calls by Attorney General William Barr to delay the company's rollout of encryption technology across its platforms, ratcheting up tensions between the tech industry and law enforcement over a pivotal security issue affecting billions of consumers. Nice show off to make people believe that their communication is safe.
Responding this week to an earlier letter Barr sent to the tech giant, 2Facebook2 (FB) said encryption protects businesses and personal communications from hackers. Giving into law enforcement demands for special access to that data, 2Facebook2 said, would endanger public safety.

Barr's proposal would be a "gift to criminals, hackers and repressive regimes," the technology giant said in its response, which was dated Monday and released to the public on Tuesday.

2Facebook2 said earlier this year that it planned to add end-to-end encryption to its various messaging platforms, including WhatsApp and Messenger, as part of a broader effort to position itself as more focused on privacy.

2Facebook2's response to Barr was released as representatives from the company and Apple (AAPL) were set to appear at a Senate hearing Tuesday on the benefits and risks of encryption.

The exchange highlights a renewed debate over encryption technology, spurred in large part by Barr himself. In recent months, Barr has questioned whether encryption - an option to conceal the contents of the message from anyone other than the people who sent and received it - may be allowing criminals to evade detection by the authorities.

"By enabling dangerous criminals to cloak their communications and activities behind an essentially impenetrable digital shield, the deployment of warrant-proof encryption is already imposing huge costs on society," Barr argued in a speech at Fordham University's International Conference on Cyber Security in July.

But for years, the tech industry -alongside academics, civil society groups and security engineers -has argued that exceptions for law enforcement will inevitably be exploited by determined cybercriminals, which they argue makes the cure more dangerous than the disease.

A group of more than 100 organizations, experts and privacy advocates wrote separately to Barr on Tuesday, saying that technologists "cannot build systems that are inherently able to tell when 'bad' people use them, just as engineers cannot design sidewalks and highways to crumble underneath the feet of certain people."

2Facebook2's own response to Barr cited that letter, and added that building backdoor access for law enforcement "is not something we are prepared to do."

Encryption is the public's "first line of defense" against online attackers, 2Facebook2 said, "as it keeps them safe from cyber attacks and protected from falling into the hands of criminals."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×