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United States Attorney General Eric Holder, who announced plans to resign earlier this week pending confirmation of a successor, has criticized Apple and Google for encrypting smartphone data beyond law enforcement official access, Reuters reports.
“It is fully possible to permit law enforcement to do its job while still adequately protecting personal privacy,” Holder said in a speech before the Global Alliance Against Child Sexual Abuse Online.
Holder is the second high profile government official to publicly oppose smartphone data encryption that prevents law enforcement from accessing data on otherwise locked devices.
Last week it was reported that FBI Direct James Comey voiced his frustration with Apple and Google marketing smartphone encryption to users suggesting doing so was above the law.
The pushback from the government officials follows Apple’s marketing push on privacy with a public letter from Apple CEO Tim Cook on the subject as well as comments made during an interview with Charlie Rose.
During that interview, Cook emphasized Apple’s position on privacy: If the government laid a subpoena on us to get your iMessages, we can’t provide it. It’s encrypted and we don’t have the key.
(Photo via Flickr)
Filed under: AAPL Company, Tech Industry Tagged: Apple, Attorney General, Encryption, eric holder, iPhone, privacy, Tim Cook, unites states 
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