Encryption boost from U.S. House bill: Stop States’ smartphone stupidity

Amazingly, some Hill dwellers are pro-encryption, and are starting to fight for citizens’ privacy rights. The first step seems to be to stop individual States from enacting their own crazy anti-crypto laws.

The Bill for an “Ensuring National Constitutional Rights for Your Private Telecommunications Act of 2016” (a/k/a the ENCRYPT Act) just got placed before the House, by representatives Ted W. Lieu (D-Cali), Blake Farenthold (R-Tex), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash), and Mike Bishop (R-Mich). It seeks, in the jargon, to “preempt” States from getting involved—in other words, it argues this is a Federal matter.

But the Bill’s sponsors want to go further: They’re known for their pro-encryption stance. At least three of the four are on record as saying that backdoors and escrow are stupid ideas, which will be counter-productive.

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