New America’s Open Technology Institute Joins Coalition Calling on Australian Government to Support Strong Encryption

Yesterday, New America’s Open Technology Institute (OTI) joined an international coalition of civil society organizations, companies, and technology experts in calling on the government of Australia to support cybersecurity and strong encryption. The coalition letter urges Australian government officials not to enact legislation that would undermine strong encryption, and to instead “commit to a strong foundation for digital security.”

The letter responds to public statements by several Australian government officials indicating their support for policies that would require technology companies to provide law enforcement with access to encrypted communications. It outlines how such policies are ill-considered, and explains the benefits of strong encryption for cybersecurity, public security, and human rights. Specifically the coalition members “urge the government to commit to not only supporting, but investing in the development and use of encryption and other security tools and technologies that protect users and systems.”

The following statement can be attributed to Sharon Bradford Franklin, Director of Surveillance and Cybersecurity Policy at New America’s Open Technology Institute:

“The Australian government should recognize that strong encryption is a tool that protects public safety as well as economic security and human rights, and should reject misguided calls for encryption backdoors or other mandates that would threaten cybersecurity. The challenges Australian law enforcement faces can and should be addressed through means that do not threaten cybersecurity and individual rights.”