Apple-FBI Debate Revives In Congressional Hearing

A Congressional subcommittee has announced on April 14 that Apple Inc. and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) will return to congress on April 19. Both the summoned will place their arguments before lawmakers on their heated disagreement over law enforcement access to Apple’s encrypted devices. 

Bruce Swell, general counsel for Apple and Amy Hess, executive assistant director for science and technology at the FBI will testify before separate panels on the same day. Their arguments will be heard by other law enforcement officials and technology experts in addition to the concerned lawmakers.

James Comey, the FBI Director has appeared before another congressional committee last month to explain his agency’s solid stand in compelling Apple to unlock an iPhone. The iPhone in question has allegedly been used by one of the shooters taking part in the mass killing of San Bernardino. Swell has testified on that hearing session beside Comey.

A still secret third party has assisted the government investigators cracking into the iPhone. Following the surprising development, FBI has abandoned pursuing Apple in San Bernardino case. Meanwhile, the US Justice Department has revived its earlier efforts seeking court intervention in compelling Apple to unlock the iPhone encryption. The department has announced planning to linger the battle with appealing to court in an unrelated New York drug case.

Thomas Galati, chief of the New York police department’s intelligence bureau; Charles Cohen, commander of the Indiana Internet crimes against children task force and Matthew Blaze, a professor and computer security expert at the University of Pennsylvania, are among the other witnesses to appear during the congressional hearing as experts from related fields.

Fred Upton, chairman of the congressional committee for energy and commerce, observes the encryption debate as an important as well as imperative public issue to intervene. He however, feels the necessity for ensuring a delicate balance between secured encryption and solutions for the law enforcers in protecting American people from possible threats.

Meanwhile, two US Senators have published a draft legislation empowering courts in compelling tech companies to deliver decrypted data in an intelligent format. The proposed court authority will remain effective even if encryption has transformed the data as inaccessible to anyone other than the owner.

On the contrary, security researchers and liberty advocates argue that such law will impose a banning on strong encryption. However, encryption based security is essential to keep malicious hackers away in a bid to ensure overall internet security which in some cases cause hassles for the law enforcers. Investigating officials from different law enforcing agencies have got enraged with the security measures adopted by tech companies barring themselves to penetrate the secured systems.