ASIO Seeks Access to Encrypted Messages

Private chats considered suspicious by the government could become significantly less private, with Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director-General Mike Burgess in discussions with tech companies about gaining access to encrypted communications. Burgess said that he may use powers to ensure tech companies negotiate with warrants and provide access to encrypted chats in cases involving national security investigations. He also pushed for tech companies to design encrypted apps to include mechanisms for government access when requested. Encrypted chats use scrambling technology to ensure that only the sender and the recipient can view messages, which can be decoded only with a secret “key.”...