While you were sleeping Australia passed the Assistance and Access Bill making it illegal to use encryption without providing back doors to government and police investigators. But I don’t live in Australia, why would that matter to me?
Australia is a member of the 5 Eyes domestic spying alliance. In order to circumvent the Bill of Rights, the US, UK, and AU perform simultaneous illegal collection of data on the other countries citizens in exchange for the same.
American data will soon be redirected through Australian pipelines so that Australia can force decryption in order to protect us from “terrorist”.
This will fundamentally destroy the security and backbone of the internet.
Apple said the bill granted “extraordinarily broad and vague powers” that could compel it to develop custom software to bypass encryption. “The development of such a tool, even if deployed only to one phone, would render everyone’s encryption and security less effective.”
Because of this action, ALL American citizens are encouraged to switch their messaging AWAY from iMessage and TO Signal which utilizes the OpenWhisperSystems protocol. It has always been the stance of @McAfee Media Solutions to resist tyranny in any form and to provide material aid to those acting in kind. To that end, we re-iterate that we stand by and support all person’s right to privacy and right to be considered innocent until proven guilty.
McAfee Media Solutions will be doubling its efforts to inform users about free end-to-end encryption software and to provide free or cost effective training to individuals and small business who are willing to resist the tyrannical actions of the Australian government and its 5 Eyes allies.
“Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear.”
[Special Message to the Congress on the Internal Security of the United States, August 8, 1950], Harry S. Truman