What Are the Crypto Wars?
The Crypto Wars refer to ongoing conflicts between governments seeking surveillance capabilities and advocates for strong, unbreakable encryption. These battles have shaped modern cryptography policy and privacy rights.
Crypto Wars I (1990s)
Export ControlsStrong crypto classified as "munitions"
Clipper Chip (1993)NSA backdoor chip for phones - rejected
PGP InvestigationPhil Zimmermann investigated (dropped 1996)
Bernstein v. DOJCode = speech, export controls relaxed
Crypto Wars II (2010s-Present)
Apple vs FBI (2016)
San Bernardino iPhone backdoor demand
USAAustralia AA Act
Compelled decryption assistance
AustraliaUK Online Safety
Threatens E2E encryption
UKEU Chat Control
Proposed client-side scanning
EU"Going Dark" Debate
The Core Argument
Government Position: "End-to-end encryption lets criminals hide. We need exceptional access for law enforcement." Security Expert Response: "Any backdoor weakens security for everyone. You cannot build a door only good guys can use. 'Going light' - we have more data than ever."
Why Backdoors Don't Work
- Backdoors are discovered by adversaries
- Cannot ensure only "good guys" access
- Criminals use non-backdoored software
- Undermines trust in communications
- Math doesn't have jurisdictions
Current Status
Ongoing Battle: The Crypto Wars continue. Signal, WhatsApp, and others resist backdoor demands. Proposals for client-side scanning attempt to circumvent E2E encryption. Vigilance is required.