Summary: Both Google and Android have announced that their new operating systems will have privacy settings that will lock law enforcement out from various devices. The FBI will investigate to determine how the settings will affect the access of data.
The Wall Street Journal has learned that James Comey, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is concerned that both Apple and Google are attempting to market privacy technology on smartphones that will keep some data private—and out of the reach of law enforcement. Comey stated that agency officials have contacted both Google and Apple about the privacy innovations.
Comey said, “What concerns me about this is companies marketing something expressly to allow people to place themselves beyond the law.”
Comey admitted he will need a better understanding of the proposed technology, and added that FBI officials have held discussions with Apple and Google “to understand what they’re thinking and why they think it makes sense.”
Such correspondence and communication was expected after Apple announced that the newest operating system for its phones would prohibit law enforcement from obtaining photos, videos, and contacts from a locked phone. Google followed with a statement that the next Android mobile-operating system would include similar privacy features when it launches this fall.
According to the Huffington Post, the new security settings have been implemented due to consumers’ concerns that their data is being accessed by the government after National Security Agency documents were leaked last year that demonstrated the government had access to such data.
Tim Cook, a chief executive with Apple, stated, “People have a right to privacy. And I think that’s going to be a very key topic over the next year or so.”
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