iPhone Just the Beginning: Obama Just Announced He Wants a Backdoor to EverythingBy Andrew Emett When asked where he stood on the privacy vs. security debate, Obama answered, All of us value our privacy. And this is a society that is built on a Constitution, and a Bill of Rights, and a healthy skepticism about overreaching government power. Before smartphones were invented, and to this day, if there is probable cause to think that you have abducted a child or that you are engaging in a terrorist plot or you are guilty of some serious crime, law enforcement can appear at your doorstep and say, We have a warrant to search your home. And they can go into your bedroom and into your bedroom drawers and rifle through your underwear to see if theres any evidence of wrongdoing. And we agree on that. No, President Obama, we never agreed on no-knock drug raids that leave innocent children maimed or murdered. After declaring an incessant war on drugs in June 1971, President Richard Nixon pushed through extreme measures, including no-knock search warrants and mandatory sentencing, in an attempt to appear tough on crime. But we never agreed to the needless deaths of 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones and 11-year-old Alberto Sepulveda, or the mutilation of 19-month-old Bou Phonesavanh. The question we now have to ask is: If technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system where the encryption is so strong that there is no key, theres no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer, how do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot? Obama asked. Apparently, it never occurred to Obama to use evidence, witness testimony, deduction, forensic science, or undercover cops to apprehend child pornographers. And although the CIA and NSA have repeatedly claimed that their mass surveillance programs are responsible for thwarting terrorist plots, they remain unable to provide a single example of identifying or preventing a large-scale terrorist attack. What mechanisms do we have available to even do simple things like tax enforcement? Obama continued. Because if in fact you cant crack that at all, government cant get in, then everybody is walking around with a Swiss bank account in their pocket. While Obama appears to operate under the assumption that the U.S. government does not have the capability of cracking these devices, NSA whistleblower Ed Snowden recently addressed the issue asserting, Respectfully, thats bullshit. As The Intercept pointed out, security researchers say other options do exist, such as de-capping the phones memory chip to access it outside the phone (which Snowden has also mentioned), or resetting the phones internal counter for an unlimited number of password attempts. Though difficult and costly, such methods have been used with success in the past. Refusing to speak about the specifics regarding the Apple vs. FBI encryption battle, Obama instead pleaded a case for allowing the government backdoors into smartphones and other devices. Addressing the fact that civil liberties have been violated, Obama neglected to remind the SXSW audience about the NSA analysts caught spying on their girlfriends and spouses, or Snowdens accusations of NSA employees sharing stolen nude photos by utilizing mass surveillance programs with little to no oversight. In 1975, CIA counterintelligence chief James Angleton admitted before the Church Committee to opening and reading Americans mail to and from foreign countries for at least 20 years. Without the technology to read everyones mail, the CIA was restricted to photographing the letters before resealing the envelopes, as the NSA tapped transatlantic communication lines. The CIA was also accused of orchestrating the assassinations of several political figures, while the FBI admitted to conducting illegal surveillance and harassing civil rights leaders. But the Justice Department refused to prosecute. Due to the fact that the CIA, NSA, and FBI were not criminally charged for repeatedly violating Americans constitutional rights over 40 years ago, Obama is delusional if he believes we should place blind faith in our corrupt intelligence agencies. By allowing these acronyms to operate with near-impunity, the president is completely ignoring the precedent set by human history that secret police and intelligence agencies, including the Soviet Unions KGB, East Germanys Stasi, Irans SAVAK, and Russias FSB, possess a consistent pattern of violating human rights and abusing their power. In the case of Saudi Arabia, the NSA is currently providing technical assistance and decryption tools to Saudi intelligence agencies, improving their surveillance systems and spyware against political dissidents, bloggers, and human rights activists, while the Saudi government continues to fund CIA covert operations in Syria. Obama also neglected to mention that detail in his privacy vs. security argument. Andrew Emett writes for TheFreeThoughtProject.com, where this article first appeared. He is a Los Angeles-based reporter exposing political and corporate corruption. His interests include national security, corporate abuse, and holding government officials accountable. Andrews work has appeared on Raw Story, Alternet, selfnews Post, and many other sites. You can follow him on Twitter @AndrewEmett and on Facebook at Andrew Emett. What this is all about is getting open access to all the technology and your information. They already do it without warrants. This is another tentacle of the B.S. war on terror. So cellphones are like guns, large cash deposits, encryption, etc., i.e. if its used by any criminal, anywhere, anytime, the government is entitled to control it for our safety. And people buy this crap? We normally first encounter this control technique con in first grade, where Johnny got a pass from the teacher to go to the restroom and never came back, so going to the bathroom was stopped for everyone. Same infantile BS. None of you are going anywhere until someone tells me who did it. Yeah. rotsa ruck with that, Teach! Yep. People are really buying this crap. Unbelievable, and sad. Our greatest threat comes from the sheeple who follow and believe in the system. THEY are the problem! The Obominator apparently is extremely passionate about back-doorsask any gay crack smoking white men in Washington before he was puppeteered for president as a perverted inside-joke an inside-bet by the 0.001% neocon shadow masters that luv to laugh behind our backs at our expense. to see just how far just how deep they can prosecute their hegemonic tyranny down the throats (pun) of the gullible hypnozombed American public. Yeah, Im sure hed like the back door to my hiney-ho, too. Lots of luck with that, Chocolate Sock Puppet! I think he is one man kind of guy. Michael is very lucky Hi Eddy, just thought youd like to know your reply to me yesterday was censored. I saw it (as a notification that a new reply had arrived) but when I tried to reply I got a message (in Red!) You can only reply to an active message or something to that effect. BTW my reply was LOL. I guess that means that they are worried about what we were talking about hahaha!yes construed mayhaps as a little over the line as in ad hominem.(lol)as I was reflecting on the obvious myopia dearth of knowledge + a serious lack of critical thinking on the part of the Archie Bunker you were having a repartee with LOLjust my 2 cents as I think a couple of words triggered the algorithm software of no nos .until an A.P. editor expunged the recordsilly me!-LOL Just a bit more dancing with the devil But I just hate it when I see This message is awaiting moderation come up when Ive typed a long detailed reply Im a slow typist and begrudge the effort wasted. The worst place Ive found is Micheal Snyders Economic Collapse He deletes a comment instantly if it is in any way anti-israel simply using the word talmud is fatal. I experience same things. Sometimes It wont let me type anything at all; not sure what that is? Im not game to type long comments anymore! LOL! The question we now have to ask is: If technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system where the encryption is so strong that there is no key, theres no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer, how do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot? Obama asked. The question here is why assume anyone would be a child pornographer, tax evader, terrorist because they desire privacy and use encryption to attain it? Another question is why should people fear their government/s, or any alleged person or entity of authority enough so as to desire encryption to wall themselves in? Also, why should there be any reason to invade another human beings privacy? Have you not heard that no means no? Can you not see invading privacy is the same crime as rape? Is it no clear that invading a persons privacy has the same results as rape? Yes, I disagree with the idea government has a right to be able to invade privacy. This from the a real backdoor man Barry likes it that way. No they cannot. They want us to think theyre so freaking powerful that they control our minds, our bodies, our communications, our voices they cant and they dont. Its all a mind trick. If you stand in your sovereignty they cannot take it unless you willingly give it away. False. Your sovereignty can be taken or your life in a situation of physical mortal combat. One or the other is going to happen at that point. Dead people lose their sovereignty the moment their breath of life returns to the LORD God. Thank you! Im not a fan of the slave path at all. I know my fate Not if its not plugged into an electrical outlet. I dont believe they can make your hard drive spin by remote control. It needs electrical power to do that. Thats right. selfnews? They can build a case against you using all sorts of tech now. They have done so countless times already I sit on a mans back, choking him, and making him carry me, and yet assure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by any means possible, except getting off his back. Tolstoy Mothers gonna make all your nightmares come true. I got Obomination beat!!! There is 100% proof positive my methods work I do not have a cell phone. Try and break into that one, badge kissing shekel snatchers! In Australia, anyone who is off the grid ( no phone, facebook) is considered sus! They are covering their bases thats for sure! Since everyone is someones child and a molester is defined as To disturb, interfere with, or annoy. Its obvious that all involved in law enforcement are child molesters. Another excellent post. Well said! The backdoor has been there for years and years 