Today, much of what we value most exists on our phones or on one of our many online platforms — from intimate moments with family and friends to personal details about our health and finances. Our lives and the global economy are increasingly tied to the digital world. We entrust companies to secure our private information without worrying about cyberattacks causing personal harm. If the internet is to live up to its potential as a force for good in the world, we need better safeguards to protect our privacy.
Providing users with fundamental online protections through end-to-end encryption is now more vital than ever. As companies begin to enter a privacy-focused era, using end-to-end encryption as the most important line of defense is necessary to keep users safe from cyberattacks.
At the core, end-to-end encryption can be described as locking the doors to your home, with only you and your family having access to the only keys. You would not leave an extra key easily accessible to strangers to enter through the backdoor, coming in-and-out as they please. Any type of backdoor access is a fundamental threat to the user, their privacy, and their sensitive information.
The concept of encryption isn’t new. Ancient Romans used the Caesar Cipher to send encrypted documents to military forces; Thomas Jefferson invented the Jefferson Wheel Cipher to transmit coded information during the Revolutionary War and to ensure concepts of free speech and privacy were included in the Bill of Rights; Allied Forces used encrypted messages during WWII.
While modern encryption methods have changed — with threats being more complex than ever — the need to protect sensitive information from malicious eyes remains. The advent of new digital technologies changed the way we connect with the world, consequentially altering societies and how we defend ourselves from bad actors. Communicating on different platforms, such as Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, iMessage, or emails, necessitates new levels of privacy. Encrypted messaging is the leading form of online communications today and works because no individual has open access capability to data or sent messages except the person sending or receiving that information.
For nearly a decade, the US Intelligence Community’s Worldwide Threat Assessment has ranked computer network vulnerability and cybersecurity as the leading threats to global security. With our institutions and infrastructure tied to the digital world, encryption safeguards our financial interactions, our traffic monitoring procedures, grid systems, communication networks, and much more. It’s the responsibility of any organization to use the very best technology available to protect user data and privacy.
Government officials from the US, UK, and Australia are have urged large tech companies to forfeit plans to implement end-to-end encryption. They cite requirements to “backdoor” access to secure communications as an attempt to surveil conversations deemed high risk. Public safety concern should always be on the forefront of any company; especially concerns of child safety. To help protect the safety of individuals, companies ought to take a three-prong approach to prevent, detect, and respond to any malicious activity identified on any social media platforms.
If we allow governments to stop dangerous criminals through backdoor access, foreign adversaries would soon find a way to enter backdoor openings through other means. This could potentially cause long-lasting, irreversible impacts on user vitality. Past attempts by government agencies who limit encryption use have led criminals to adopt secure tools developed in other foreign states.
Cybersecurity experts agree any attempt to create backdoor access for law enforcement would produce a vulnerability for anyone to break-in — whether it be a criminal, foreign adversary, a terrorist organization, or a hacker. As machine learning technology and artificial intelligence are implemented by government agencies and corporations, an oppressive regime surveilling on dissidents, a foreign counterpart attempting to influence an election, or cyberhacker could easily gain access through the vulnerability of backdoor access. Any encryption weaknesses will be exploited. As a result, backdoor access to encrypted communication reduces security for every individual and would have far-reaching consequences for human rights on a global scale.
Billions of people throughout the world use social platforms to stay in touch with family and friends, run their small businesses, and advocate for important issues. Companies have a moral responsibility to protect every persons’ security with good faith and with the belief that all people have a right to always expect the best level of security. End-to-end encryption does just that.