Governments Persist in Struggling to Obtain Backdoor Access to Secure Communications
The increasing use of encrypted messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp has been driven by prominent American national security officials’ reliance on these platforms, alongside a global rise in authoritarian policies. These applications offer robust encryption that prevents not only the government but also the app companies from accessing intercepted messages. This situation highlights the ongoing tension between government interests in monitoring communications for law enforcement and national security purposes, and the rights of citizens and businesses to maintain private digital conversations. The debate is often framed as a “war on encryption” by technology policy experts and civil liberties advocates. As a cybersecurity researcher with nearly 30 years of experience, the belief persists that this is a battle that governments are unlikely to win.
Historically, strong encryption was viewed as a military technology, inaccessible to the public. However, the release of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) by computer scientist Phil Zimmermann in 1991 marked a significant shift, as it provided free, open-source encryption software that anyone could download. PGP enabled secure email and file exchanges, similar to government systems, but prompted the U.S. government to recognise that technology evolves faster than legislation. In response to concerns about potential misuse by terrorists or criminals, the Clinton administration proposed the Clipper Chip, which aimed to create a “golden key” system allowing trusted third parties to access encrypted data for legitimate purposes. Despite its failure to gain traction due to its classified algorithm, the concept of a golden key continues to influence government approaches to encryption in the face of rapid technological advancements.