FBI's Comey, Top Apple Executive To Testify Before House Judiciary Over Encryption Battle

The standoff between Apple and the FBI will be the focus of a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday with FBI Director James Comey as the sole witness on the first panel and Bruce Sewell, Apple general counsel, testifying with others on a second panel (see 1602220026). "Americans have a right to strong privacy protections and Congress should fully examine the issue to be sure those are in place while finding ways to help law enforcement fight crime and keep us safe," said Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., in a joint statement. They added that they want law enforcement to operate effectively without also harming the competitiveness of U.S. encryption providers. Lawmakers are expected to unveil a bill next week to establish a panel that will examine the encryption issue in more depth (see 1602240056). Other scheduled witnesses include Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance and Worcester Polytechnic Institute professor Susan Landau, who's an expert in cybersecurity, national security, law and policy. The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn.