Slashdot: Crypto-Bashing Prime Minister Argues The Laws Of Mathematics Don't Apply In Australia

Crypto-Bashing Prime Minister Argues The Laws Of Mathematics Don’t Apply In Australia
Published on July 16, 2017 at 07:39PM
An anonymous reader quotes the Independent:Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said the laws of mathematics come second to the law of the land in a row over privacy and encryption… When challenged by a technology journalist over whether it was possible to tackle the problem of criminals using encryption — given that platform providers claim they are currently unable to break into the messages even if required to do so by law — the Prime Minister raised eyebrows as he made his reply. “Well the laws of Australia prevail in Australia, I can assure you of that. The laws of mathematics are very commendable, but the only law that applies in Australia is the law of Australia,” he said… “The important thing is to recognise the challenge and call on the companies for assistance. I am sure they know morally they should… They have to face up to their responsibility.”
Facebook has already issued a statement saying that they “appreciate the important work law enforcement does, and we understand the need to carry out investigations. That’s why we already have a protocol in place to respond to any requests we can.

“At the same time, weakening encrypted systems for them would mean weakening it for everyone.”