An open letter and an opinion article were recently published by three researchers from Karlstad University and Chalmers, warning about the government's legislative proposal for increased transparency in encrypted apps. One of the authors is Simone Fischer-Hübner, a professor of computer science at Karlstad University.
The letter, supported by 85 cybersecurity researchers from Swedish universities, highlights the issues with the proposed law that would allow law enforcement agencies access to apps like WhatsApp and Signal. According to the researchers, the proposal presents serious risks to both individual privacy and society at large.
Why an open letter?
"As cybersecurity experts, we wanted to contribute our insights into the potential dangers of the proposed law, both for personal privacy and for the security of society and industry. The debate about backdoors in encryption is not new – similar proposals have arisen several times before (including in the 1990s in the US with the Clipper chip proposal). These initiatives have often failed or been abandoned after researchers pointed out the negative side effects and inefficiencies of such measures", says Simone Fischer-Hübner.
What do you hope the letter will achieve?
"We hope that the government will reconsider its proposal, especially when they see that this open letter has received support from the leading research groups in Sweden working on cybersecurity. A total of 19 Swedish institutions have backed the letter, which demonstrates the widespread commitment to the issue".
Why is it important for researchers to be involved in the debate?
"Politicians could listen to experts when it comes to cybersecurity. The proposal is not just about technical solutions but about important issues regarding privacy and security on a global scale. Researchers can provide deeper insights and help highlight the long-term consequences of decisions that impact our digital lives".
