Obama Sees Need for 'Some Concession' To Gain Access to Encrypted Information

recruit all of you,” Obama said. He brought up the broadband stimulus funds and talked about the “enormous progress in extending more and more Internet access, high-speed Internet access, to communities across the country.” The administration is “on track” to meet its ConnectED goals, Obama said. He said the initiatives involve federal spending but also private industry stepping up. He said the initiative requires more than simply infrastructure but also efforts of community adoption, such as in schools. Obama said he couldn't comment on the ongoing Apple/FBI fight over unlocking a terrorist attacker's iPhone. But he cited the history of probable causes and warrants to investigate. "I am of the view that there are very real reasons why we want to make sure that government cannot just willy-nilly get into everyone's iPhones, or smartphones, that are full of very personal information," Obama said. Popular culture and the revelations of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden exacerbated this, he said. "What makes it more complicated is we also want really strong encryption," he added. "We've got two values, both of which are important. The question we now have to ask is, if technologically it is possible to make an impenetrable device or system where the encryption is so strong there's no key, there's no door at all, then how do we apprehend the child pornographer? How do we solve or disrupt a terrorist plot? What mechanisms do we have to do even simple things like tax enforcement?" Obama urged "some concession" to get to the information. He cited many ways the government interacts with tech officials, from civic participation in the voting booth to how government agencies use the Internet to how to confront terrorists online. "I am way on the civil liberties side of this thing," Obama insisted. "You cannot take an absolutist view on this," he said, and referred to engaging the tech industry aggressively on this issue. He foresees a future with strong encryption but one in which the key is available to a small subset of people on the right occasions. “Technology, globalization, our economy is changing so fast,” Obama said. “This gathering, South by Southwest, brings together people who are at the cutting edge of those changes. Those changes offer us enormous opportunities but also are very disruptive and unsettling. They empower individuals to do things they could have never dreamed of before, but they also empower folks who are very dangerous to spread dangerous messages.” Obama emphasized a desire to use big data and analytics to make civic participation easier. White House Chief Digital Officer Jason Goldman wrote a blog post outlining ways the administration has engaged with the tech industry.