FBI General Counsel James Baker discussing encryption with cybersecurity policy expert Susan Landau. (credit: Jon Brodkin)
FBI General Counsel James Baker today spoke about how encryption is making it increasingly difficult for law enforcement agencies to conduct surveillance. While the FBI has previously argued in favor of backdoors that let authorities defeat encryption, Baker said the issue must ultimately be decided by the American people.
“We are your servants,” Baker said. “The FBI are your servants, we will do what you want us to do.”
Baker was speaking in a panel discussion titled “Going Dark: The Balance Between Encryption, Privacy, and Public Safety” at the annual Advanced Cyber Security Center conference in Boston.