House Panel To Hear From Law Enforcement, Technology Experts on Encryption

A House Commerce subcommittee named witnesses for its hearing Tuesday on encryption, featuring federal, state and local law enforcement officials and technology industry executives. In a notice, the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee said it will focus on "the intersection of the benefits associated with strong encryption and the needs of law enforcement." Among the witnesses are Apple General Counsel Bruce Sewell, who testified before another House committee in early March on the FBI's legal fight with the company to get access to an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino, California, mass shooters (see 1603010013). On the first panel are FBI Assistant Director for Science and Technology Amy Hess, New York City Police Department Intelligence Bureau Chief Thomas Galati, the National Sheriffs’ Association's Ron Hickman, and Charles Cohen, who heads Indiana's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The second panel includes Apple's Sewell, RSA Security President Amit Yoran, Massachusetts Institute of Technology research scientist Daniel Weitzner, and University of Pennsylvania computer professor Matthew Blaze. The 10 a.m. hearing will be in 2123 Rayburn.