Encryption will lead to worse behavior by spies: Ex-GCHQ chief
A former head of British espionage agency Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) has warned that the increasing use of encryption technologies in everyday emails and messaging services will lead to “ethically worse” behavior by the intelligence agencies.
Speaking at the London School of Economics (LSE) earlier this week, Sir David Omand said that the use of increasingly secure technologies could force spy agencies into more direct spying methods such as hacking individual computers, the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism reported on Friday.
“You can say that will be more targeted, but in terms of intrusion into personal privacy – collateral intrusion into privacy – we are likely to end up in an ethically worse position than we were before,” said Omand, who was the director of the GCHQ from 1996-97.
"One of the results of [US Whistleblower Edward] Snowden is that companies are now heavily encrypting [communications] end to end,” Omand added.
The encryption technologies currently allow users to message and email in private in a secure manner. The technologies were introduced following evidence leaked by Snowden, a former US National Security Agency contractor, in June 2013.
Both the GCHQ and its US counterpart were found to be spying on millions of people’s private data.
The revelations caused public outcry, and led to calls on web firms to make data more secure.
Several internet corporations, including Apple and Google, have recently begun introducing more sophisticated methods of encryption. The internet giants have reportedly signaled their unwillingness to pass user data to government agencies.
The GCHQ organization is accused of tapping electronic communications of the world's top media organizations.
The Guardian's analysis of documents leaked by Snowden shows the GCHQ scooped up tens of thousands of emails of journalists in the United States, Britain, and elsewhere.
According to the report, the journalists’ communications were among 70,000 emails the GCHQ gathered in less than 10 minutes on one day in 2008.
The disclosure comes as the British government faces intense pressure to protect the confidential communications of reporters, MPs and lawyers from snooping.
Prime Minister David Cameron plans to ban encrypted messaging services across Britain. However, the premier is greeted with outrage and strong criticism by the users.
JR/AS/MHB
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