Going Dark, and the era of law enforcement hacking
The article argues that the "going dark" problem—encryption blocking law enforcement surveillance—has been overtaken by an era of law enforcement hacking, where agencies exploit vulnerabilities to access encrypted data instead of seeking backdoors.
Law enforcement is entering a new era where hacking, not encryption, defines the surveillance debate. The article argues that the long-feared "going dark" problem—where police cannot access encrypted communications—is ending as agencies increasingly exploit software vulnerabilities, deploy malware, and use zero-day exploits to bypass encryption directly. This shift moves the focus from demanding legal backdoors to exploiting technical weaknesses. Key examples include the FBI's purchase of hacking tools and use of exploits against suspects. The author warns that this approach raises serious privacy and security concerns, as it incentivizes stockpiling vulnerabilities that could also be used by malicious actors.