Graham, Cotton introduce yet another attempt to torpedo encryption

Enlarge / This dog was part of widespread protests against the FBI's attempts to penetrate iPhone encryption. (credit: Dunzlullstein bild / Getty Images)

On Tuesday, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced yet another bill attempting to poke holes in data encryption, called the Lawful Access To Encrypted Data Act. This bill follows previous US efforts to weaken encryption, including March's proposed EARN IT Act and demands made by US Attorney General William Barr in his 2019 keynote address at the International Conference on Cyber Security.

A press release from the Senate Judiciary Committee-which is chaired by Graham-describes the bill as "a balanced solution that keeps in mind the constitutional rights afforded to all Americans, while providing law enforcement the tools needed to protect the public from everyday violent crime and threats to our national security." It goes on to emphasize-in both bold and italic text-that the bill would "only" require service providers to grant law enforcement a back door after a court issues a warrant.

Graham expresses his personal position in strong terms:

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