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Consumer Products & Retail | October 01, 2018

Privacy experts alarmed by Five Eyes demand for 'backdoors' on tech devices

Robert Beggs

Excerpt: In late August, the Five Eyes intelligence alliance — comprised of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States — issued a renewed call for “lawful access to information” to keep its citizens safe. “Privacy is not absolute,” the communique reads, adding that the countries “may pursue technological, enforcement, legislative or other measures to achieve lawful access solutions” if companies don’t co-operate. To some experts that sounds like a threat, but Canadian officials say it’s just a request and reject the idea that they’re requesting backdoors. “Encryption is critical to safeguarding our cybersecurity, privacy and the digital economy. However, it has also created gaps for law enforcement and national security agencies,” said Scott Bardsley, the press secretary for Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, in an emailed statement. Goodale’s office declined an interview request....