<story><title>Obama administration quietly explored ways to bypass smartphone encryption</title><url>https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-administration-ponders-how-to-seek-access-to-encrypted-data/2015/09/23/107a811c-5b22-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>whoopdedo</author><text>From another leaked memo (or maybe the same memo):&lt;p&gt;&lt;pre&gt;&lt;code&gt;    Although “the legislative environment is very hostile today, it could turn in the
    event of a terrorist attack or criminal event where strong encryption can be shown
    to have hindered law enforcement.”

    There is value, he said, in “keeping our options open for such a situation.”
&lt;/code&gt;&lt;/pre&gt;
In other words, he was hoping for a terrorist attack that could be used as a flag to push anti-encryption legislation.&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.washingtonpost.com&amp;#x2F;world&amp;#x2F;national-security&amp;#x2F;tech-trade-agencies-push-to-disavow-law-requiring-decryption-of-phones&amp;#x2F;2015&amp;#x2F;09&amp;#x2F;16&amp;#x2F;1fca5f72-5adf-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html?postshare=9031442410909976&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;&gt;https:&amp;#x2F;&amp;#x2F;www.washingtonpost.com&amp;#x2F;world&amp;#x2F;national-security&amp;#x2F;tech-...&lt;/a&gt;</text></comment>
<story><title>Obama administration quietly explored ways to bypass smartphone encryption</title><url>https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-administration-ponders-how-to-seek-access-to-encrypted-data/2015/09/23/107a811c-5b22-11e5-b38e-06883aacba64_story.html</url></story><parent_chain></parent_chain><comment><author>alyandon</author><text>Cry me a river.  The widespread adoption of encryption wouldn&amp;#x27;t have been such a pressing issue if spy agencies like the NSA hadn&amp;#x27;t been abusing their powers by conducting mass surveillance on law abiding citizens.</text></comment>