Apple's iMessage encryption trips up feds' surveillance

[onehandle]

Source: CNET



Encryption used in Apple's iMessage chat service has stymied attempts by federal drug enforcement agents to eavesdrop on suspects' conversations, an internal government document reveals.

An internal Drug Enforcement Administration document seen by CNET discusses a February 2013 criminal investigation and warns that because of the use of encryption, "it is impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices" even with a court order approved by a federal judge.

The DEA's warning, marked "law enforcement sensitive," is the most detailed example to date of the technological obstacles -- FBI director Robert Mueller has called it the "Going Dark" problem -- that police face when attempting to conduct court-authorized surveillance on non-traditional forms of communication.

When Apple's iMessage was announced in mid-2011, Cupertino said it would use "secure end-to-end encryption." It quickly became the most popular encrypted chat program in history: Apple CEO Tim Cook said last fall that 300 billion messages have been sent so far, which are transmitted through the Internet rather than as more costly SMS messages carried by wireless providers.



Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57577887-38/apples-imessage-encryption-trips-up-feds-surveillance

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Maybe Apple should just give the feds full backdoor access, like Google and the big telecoms that sell Android do.

[ret5hd]

1. You think they haven't already?

This looks like planned mininfo to to me.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

2. Related thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022613196

[Dreamer Tatum]

3. What's more important than national security to onehandle?

Apple.

Wow, dude. You are some piece of work.

[Comrade Grumpy]

7. Uh, this is the DEA whining. I think Orsino's comment below sums it up best.

[awoke_in_2003]

14. We used to bitch about the police state...

when Bush was in office. I guess it has gone out of style since our guy got in office.

[Orsino]

4. Know what can decrypt those messages easily?

It's a low-tech device called a fucking warrant.

[TeamPooka]

5. +1000

[Comrade Grumpy]

6. Thank you. I remember when we had a Fourth Amendment.

[Berlum]

12. Oh yeah, I kinda remember that, too

[cprise]

8. Are warrants "easy"?

I thought that was the whole reason for warrantless surveillance-- Its not easy enough to first obtain warrants so that cops can fuel their fishing expeditions.

If most people casually use strong encryption, then the police can't go on warrantless fishing expeditions against whoever they prefer to make a target this week.

[bemildred]

9. The problem with warrants is you have to have some evidence.

Our present LEO comunity is full of people who consider gathering evidence an onerous imposition.

[cprise]

10. Any chat app with OTR encryption will have this level of security.

Skype is not one of these apps, and they have been refusing questions from the computer press about whether they have put backdoors into their system. (The Feds used to complain about Skype, too, but not anymore.)

iMessage is no different than Skype in that its a proprietary, close source program. Therefore, it is an easy target for the US government to corrupt.

Here is a quick guide to OTR messaging:
https://ssd.eff.org/tech/im

[Proletariatprincess]

11. Thwarting the DEA is always a good thing.

Bravo for Apple and down with the stupid, counter productive, criminally motivated Drugwar.

[awoke_in_2003]

13. good. Fuck the DEA...

and every other member of our police state

[AndyTiedye]

15. If You Want to Make Sure There are No Back Doors

Use open-source encryption tools. They are free and can run on any kind of computer or smartphone.
If you want to make REALLY sure, inspect the source code and compile it yourself.

Carriers are required to provide lawful intercept. Skype would have been forced to give law enforcement a back door.
Apple is not a carrier, so that law does not apply to them. It is possible that they may have been persuaded to do it
anyway, someone would have to disassemble the code to find out.

[hughee99]

16. I'll bet the NSA already has access. They just don't like to share. n/t

[quadrature]

17. whatever happened to PGP? .nt

nt

[PSPS]

18. LOL. "It is impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices even with a court order!1!"

Yes, even when we're compelled against our will to follow the law, says the thoroughly corrupt DEA.