---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: La Quadrature du Net <[email protected]> Date: Tue, Jan 12, 2016 at 9:42 PM Subject: [opennetcoalition] Open letter to the world’s governments: protect encryption! To: [email protected] Themes: SUVEILLANCE, INTERNET, ENCRYPTION, FRANCE, MANUEL VALLS, BERNARD CAZENEUVE La Quadrature du Net – For immediate release Permanent link: https://www.laquadrature.net/en/letter-world-governments-protect-encryption Open letter to the world’s governments: protect encryption! *** Paris, 4 January 2016 — La Quadrature du Net joins other organisations and individuals around the world by signing the open letter to governments in order to encourage them to promote encryption techniques for communications and IT systems. The original letter and its signatories can be found on the website "SecureTheInternet.org"[1]. *** We urge you to protect the security of your citizens, your economy, and your government by supporting the development and use of secure communications tools and technologies, rejecting policies that would prevent or undermine the use of strong encryption, and urging other leaders to do the same. Encryption tools, technologies, and services are essential to protect against harm and to shield our digital infrastructure and personal communications from unauthorized access. The ability to freely develop and use encryption provides the cornerstone for today’s global economy. Economic growth in the digital age is powered by the ability to trust and authenticate our interactions and communicate and conduct business securely, both within and across borders. Some of the most noted technologists and experts on encryption recently explained that laws or policies that undermine encryption would “force a Uturn from the best practices now being deployed to make the Internet more secure,” “would substantially increase system complexity” and raise associated costs, and “would create concentrated targets that could attract bad actors.” The absence of encryption facilitates easy access to sensitive personal data, including financial and identity information, by criminals and other malicious actors. Once obtained, sensitive data can be sold, publicly posted, or used to blackmail or embarrass an individual. Additionally, insufficiently encrypted devices or hardware are prime targets for criminals. The United Nations Special Rapporteur for freedom of expression has noted, “encryption and anonymity, and the security concepts behind them, provide the privacy and security necessary for the exercise of the right to freedom of opinion and expression in the digital age.” As we move toward connecting the next billion users, restrictions on encryption in any country will likely have global impact. Encryption and other anonymizing tools and technologies enable lawyers, journalists, whistleblowers, and organizers to communicate freely across borders and to work to better their communities. It also assures users of the integrity of their data and authenticates individuals to companies, governments, and one another. We encourage you to support the safety and security of users by strengthening the integrity of communications and systems. All governments should reject laws, policies, or other mandates or practices, including secret agreements with companies, that limit access to or undermine encryption and other secure communications tools and technologies. Users should have the option to use – and companies the option to provide the strongest encryption available, including endtoend encryption, without fear that governments will compel access to the content, metadata, or encryption keys without due process and respect for human rights. Accordingly: * Governments should not ban or otherwise limit user access to encryption in any form or otherwise prohibit the implementation or use of encryption by grade or type; * Governments should not mandate the design or implementation of “backdoors” or vulnerabilities into tools, technologies, or services; * Governments should not require that tools, technologies, or services are designed or developed to allow for thirdparty access to unencrypted data or encryption keys; * Governments should not seek to weaken or undermine encryption standards or intentionally influence the establishment of encryption standards except to promote a higher level of information security. No government should mandate insecure encryption algorithms, standards, tools, or technologies; and * Governments should not, either by private or public agreement, compel or pressure an entity to engage in activity that is inconsistent with the above tenets. Strong encryption and the secure tools and systems that rely on it are critical to improving cybersecurity, fostering the digital economy, and protecting users. Our continued ability to leverage the internet for global growth and prosperity and as a tool for organizers and activists requires the ability and the right to communicate privately and securely through trustworthy networks. We look forward to working together toward a more secure future. * References * 1. https://securetheinternet.org/ ** About La Quadrature du Net ** La Quadrature du Net is an advocacy group that defends the rights and freedoms of citizens on the Internet. More specifically, it advocates for the adaptation of French and European legislations to respect the founding principles of the Internet, most notably the free circulation of knowledge. In addition to its advocacy work, the group also aims to foster a better understanding of legislative processes among citizens. Through specific and pertinent information and tools, La Quadrature du Net hopes to encourage citizens' participation in the public debate on rights and freedoms in the digital age. La Quadrature du Net is supported by French, European and international NGOs including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Open Society Institute and Privacy International. List of supporting organisations: https://www.laquadrature.net/en/they-support-la-quadrature-du-net ** Press contact and press room ** [email protected], +33 (0)972 294 426 https://www.laquadrature.net/en/press-room _______________________________________________ Opennetcoalition mailing list [email protected] https://laquadrature.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/opennetcoalition -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/