Bringing encryption restrictions in through the back door [LWN.net]

Bringing encryption restrictions in through the back door

Posted Apr 17, 2020 10:37 UTC (Fri) by niner (guest, #26151)
In reply to: Bringing encryption restrictions in through the back door by marcH
Parent article: Bringing encryption restrictions in through the back door

The difference is that it's kinda hard to have fatal accidents related to encryption and that encryption in the hands of mentally unstable people can be a nuisance at most. On the other side, contrary to encryption, guns are of no use to the general population.

So there's much benefit and little risk by making encryption available to the general population while there is little benefit and high risk by making guns generally available.

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Bringing encryption restrictions in through the back door

Posted Apr 17, 2020 11:56 UTC (Fri) by pizza (subscriber, #46) [Link]

> So there's much benefit and little risk by making encryption available to the general population while there is little benefit and high risk by making guns generally available.

I disagree; these restrictions aren't actually intended to benefit the _public_, but instead to benefit the _government_. And there is absolutely much risk involved (to the government) when it can't effectively spy on its own populace and pro-actively "redirect" agitators into less disruptive activities.