Smart phones, safe phones
Source: T.J. Kirkpatrick
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
The federal government objects to making cell phones more secure from hackers.
THE STAKES:
The possibility of solving a few crimes must be weighed against protecting millions of citizens from identity and data theft.
You'd think only criminal hackers would be bothered by plans by Apple and Google to make cell phones more secure, but this consumer-friendly effort has several other critics: Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director James Comey.
Mr. Comey says the push by technology companies to encrypt smart phone data and operating systems has a downside for law enforcement: Authorities would be unable to hack into people's phones in the course of investigating crimes.
We appreciate the government's concern. But what's likely to be an occasional downside doesn't outweigh the far greater everyday benefit to ordinary people.
Mr. Comey, in a speech last week at the Brookings Institution, warned that the inability of police to gain evidence from a person's cell phone would lead to criminal suspects going free in a wide range of cases. He cited several instances in which cellphone data helped with an investigation, although he could not recall any instances in which it actually prevented a violent crime. Still, he speculated that such a scenario could happen.
So if it saves even one person from harm, is it worth it not to harden these devices against less wholesome intrusion?
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