Introduction
- For this project, I have chosen to address the issues relating to the implementation of backdoors in technology. I believe that encryption backdoors such as bypassing a password to a smartphone or accessing a private account online are a potential ethical, privacy and safety issue to its users.
- This project will focus on technology companies and the general public who has access to technology devices. I chose these audiences in particular because I would want to educate and increase awareness of this problem to less tech-oriented people and those who are unaware of this issue.
- From a broad perspective, this project’s goal is to discuss potential issues as to why we might not need encryption backdoors for our technology devices.
Background
- The erosion of privacy in technology is imminent. Privacy has been defined as the privilege to be left alone without unwarranted interference by the government.
- The implementation of backdoors is a potential threat to data leaks and privacy. An example of a controversial issue relating to backdoors is Apple’s confrontation by the FBI to unlock an iPhone belonging to one of a terrorist group during the San Bernardino shooting of 2016. While Apple declined to comply with FBI requests, they were able to bypass the encrypted iPhone using an exploit using a hacking tool created by Cellebrite.
- Using such tools to extract private information could be abused by hackers to leak private data and potentially blackmail users.
- Due to these reasons, technology companies should discontinue providing backdoor features to tech products to further reinforce their cybersecurity.
- A solution to this issue would be for technology companies to implement a surveillance intermediary. A middle man that deals with two things: they constrain access to surveillance for the government and have the authority to decide how to respond to requests made by law enforcement.
- Through surveillance intermediaries, technology companies can cooperate with law enforcement while keeping backdoors away from both law enforcement and criminals.
- Access to criminal private information could be an enormous benefit to prove the crimes and predict the movements of criminals. Providing a degree of transparency could be critical in aiding the investigation of an ongoing case because evidence can be easily obtained from the criminal’s data through the authorization of the surveillance intermediary.
- Furthermore, these surveillance intermediaries can set a ceiling value to how much information can be accessed by law enforcement as well as expediting the process of data retrieval from criminals.
Audience
- For this advocacy campaign, the majority of the audience would be from the general public and tech companies. I focused on these particular audiences because they are the main stakeholders in this issue.
- Using multiple mediums of media to convey my message, I believe that they will care about the issue because according to the Pew Research Center, 90% of people in 2015 agree that controlling what information is collected about them is important (Madden, M., & Rainie, L., 2015, October 12).
- Due to this, I believe that people will care because they care about their privacy. This issue regarding the role of tech companies in law enforcement and backdoors puts user’s private data at stake, and through different forms of media, these people can understand what most tech companies are doing to their private information.
- Using different forms of media such as infographics and ads can increase the overall social outreach of my trans-media advocacy project. Sharing media such as digital infographics to social networks is an efficient way to get the public’s attention towards this issue. Advertisements can be set on the streets to further increase the social outreach of the cause.
Reference
Wormald, B. (2015, May 20). Americans’ Views About Data Collection and Security. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/05/20/americans-views-about-data-collection-and-security/
