Re: UK demands Apple break encryption to allow gov't spying wolrdwide, report says

On 08/02/2025 13:39, Richard Heathfield wrote:

On 08/02/2025 13:23, The Running Man wrote:

On 08/02/2025 09:34 Richard Heathfield <rjh@cpax.org.uk> wrote:

[...]

This is batshit crazy, because the genie left the bottle decades
ago. If Alice wants to communicate secretly with Bob, and if
keeping the government ignorant matters enough to Alice and Bob
both, they can do it, and the government hasn't a prayer. We know
it, they know it, and GCHQ know it. If Apple provide a back door,
Alices who care will simply go elsewhere than Apple, or even roll
their own using tried and tested ingredients.

That it is not really correct - if it is less easy to communicate and store data securely then more people will have no option but to use less secure methods. Also not being clever enough to write their own app or code does not count as stupid.

The only people an Apple back door will ever catch are stupid people
with stupid secrets, e.g. politicians.

Unfortunately catching stupid people is sufficient reason to ask - many (most?) crooks are stupid. Or merely uninformed about internet and cryptologic security.

Encrypted messaging apps should stop offering backups and
make ephemeral ("disappearing messages") the default.

Agreed, though you can't really disappear a message transmitted by internet when "they" are watching the internet - but you can disappear the ephemeral message keys.
The UK Government does not consider accessing data stored in the cloud (or Apple servers) as being interception, and it is legally much easier to demand than plaintext or even ciphertext of communications. Note that in the UK you have to give up keys to stored data on demand.
Except that is particularly difficult to do for stored data... ORAM might work if properly done.

Anyone stupid enough to rely on "apps" for illegal endeavours should not be surprised when Plod knocks on their door, no matter what default the "app" claims to use.

Unfortunately not being clever enough to write their own app or code, or to be able to judge whether an app is secure, does not count as stupid.
Excepting perhaps here...
Peter Fairbrother