Professor Carsten Maple, the director of research in cybersecurity at WMG's Cyber Security Centre (CSC) at the University of Warwick, said:

David Cameron has suggested that a Conservative government would try to stop encrypted communications. “In extremis, it has been possible to read someone’s letter, to listen to someone’s call, to mobile communications,” Cameron said. “The question remains: are we going to allow a means of communications where it simply is not possible to do that? My answer to that question is: no, we must not.”

This stance has quite rightly been derided. For Cameron to make a speech mentioning such an ill-conceived and ultimately unworkable position is incredible. The debate over privacy versus state security has been ensuing for some time but it is particularly clear that post-Snowden sentiment is shifting away from allowing governments to listen in to private communications. One of the problems is that if we build in methods for government to listen in to communications, then other people can use this as an entry point to break into the system too. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act already allows agencies to monitor and access communications but in a controlled manner. Changes to this, and these may indeed be necessary, must be carefully considered and not a knee-jerk reaction to a particular event or set of events.

Note to Editors:

Professor Maple is available for interviews. Call 07850 297 725 or email Carsten.Maple@warwick.ac.uk.

Issued by Lee Page, Communications Manager, Press and Policy Office, The University of Warwick. Tel: +44 (0)2476 574 255, Mob: +44 (0)7920 531 221. Email: l.page@warwick.ac.uk.

 

Contacts:

Professor Maple

+44 (0)7850 297 725

Carsten.Maple@warwick.ac.uk.

Lee Page, Communications Manager

+44 (0)2476 574 255

+44 (0)7920 531 221

l.page@warwick.ac.uk