US asks tech companies to keep backdoors open

US Attorney General Eric Holder urges tech companies to keep backdoors open for law enforcement. Recently, Apple and Google announced that they would make it more difficult for law enforcement agencies to retrieve data from phones.

During a press conference, Holder asked the companies to ensure that the investigative services retain the ability to retrieve information in the event of an investigation, for example about kidnappers or rapists, The Washington Post writes. Holder emphasizes that a judge must be involved.

While Holder didn’t name any companies, he was probably referring mostly to Apple and Google. Recently, Apple announced that it can no longer unlock iPhones and iPads at the request of the police or justice, due to the way the encryption is set up in iOS 8. Shortly after, Google announced that it would automatically turn on encryption in Android L; in previous Android versions, users had to do that manually.

According to Holder, it is possible to let the investigative services do their job while respecting privacy. “If a child is in danger, law enforcement must take every legally available measure to find the child and stop his abusers,” Holder said.