Wyden Attacks Wray’s Encryption Proposal, Demands Feb. 23 Response

FBI Director Christopher Wray’s encryption views are “flawed” and would harm Americans, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a letter sent Thursday, seeking response by Feb. 23. A Wray Jan. 9 speech said the bureau supports strong encryption but programs need to be “thoughtfully designed so they don’t undermine the lawful tools we need to keep this country safe.” Wray then made a pitch for developing solutions that “both provide data security and permit lawful access with a court order.” This approach “parrots the same debunked arguments espoused by your predecessors,” ignoring cryptographers’ consensus it’s impossible to deliberately provide “back-door access” for law enforcement without sacrificing security, Wyden said. “I would like to learn more about how you arrive at and justify this ill-formed policy proposal.” The FBI did not comment.