Could We Ban Encryption? - Computerphile

Secret services want to read people's communications, politicians talk about terrorists, but what's the reality of banning encryption? Ross Anderson, Professor of Security Engineering at the Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge explains how history repeats itself.

This video was filmed and edited by Sean Riley.

[kevnar]

If the public doesn't get any privacy, then the government shouldn't have any either. Every politicians every email should be posted online for all to see. They're public servants after all. We pay their salary. We're technically their bosses.

But I won't hold my breath until that laughable prospect ever happens.

[GeekIWG]

We must NEVER ban encryption. And we must NEVER give a backdoor to governments. I say this because governments can easily become corrupted. We should have the right to keep our information and data hidden from others.

[brendanmeehan]

"Some people do bad things in their house, so let's ban locks on all doors."

[DennyMapleSyrup]

I just got the notification on my phone and the video already has 70+ views. That makes me strangely happy how interested people are in this channel, great work!

[inquaanate]

Trying to ban encryption is absurd. David Cameron does not know what he is talking about (as usual).

[criskity]

You can't ban it. How else would online finance work?

[Betacak]

I would be very happy if people who don't know how the internet works would stop trying to run the internet.

[soylentgreenb]

If I have a file containing only unformated random numbers with no visible structure, this is indestinguishable from an encrypted file. Is it possible to go to jail in Britain if the police believes falsely such a file to be encrypted data?

[SyphistPrime]

The day the government makes back doors mandatory is the day I start breaking the law. Backdoors are just asking for trouble

[ericsbuds]

"American congress cant pass laws at this time" LOL

[GetMeThere]

I subscribe to the dangerous and anti-social idea that citizens should be able to communicate privately between themselves if they wish to. I should probably be tortured and imprisoned for life.

[UnashamedlyHentai]

"Congress in America can't make laws at the moment."

Too fucking true. Spoken as a matter of fact. Awesome.

[ChannelMath]

there's no practical way to even detect IF someone is using cryptography, if they combine it with steganography

[DeoMachina]

The scary thing about the power the police have to ask for a decryption key, is that it's technically a crime to not know/have forgotten.  If the police search your computer and find an encrypted file you genuinely didn't know about, and they ask for the password, you're going to jail unless you can guess the password.

[rfi-cryptolab]

I'm for strong encryption for public use. We deserve privacy.

Our privacy is being assaulted on all fronts by hackers and most of all, our own government.

Even with strong encryption you still have to worry about multiple other ways they'll use to get around it. One of the most glaring examples is companies that just hand the keys over to Big Brother.

100% privacy is virtually impossible, but decent privacy can be had if you take a multi-layered approach.

[OuroborosChoked]

Its insane that we're even having this conversation. The idea of banning encryption is fucking moronic.

[insu_na]

Al Qaeda is 4 books away from Solid Code! D: Let's make sure they don't get closer... :D

[vonkruel]

I still think it's bogus that they can compel you to decrypt information for them.  If they're going to make a case against you, they should do it without your help.

[TheToastyManToaster]

Holy crap, Dr. Anderson just slammed the US Congress worse than some comedians I've seen.

[siprus]

Important thing about encrypted data, is that encrypted data looks just like random data. And requiring ability to encrypt everything, you also basically ban random data, or at least make holding random data thing that requires a permit.