The Department Of Justice Is Forcing Facebook To Break The Encryption In Its Messenger App

By: Stefan  //  Editorial & Opinion, US News

Veritas News reported in 2014 concerns about Facebook’s potential to invade the privacy of customers using the Facebook Messenger app.  The social media behemoth released public statements at the time to ease those fears.

Even though the Facebook officials were always standing behind their customers back in the
day and proved that there was no privacy intrusion at all, it seems like they are constantly forced
to break the silence and agree to the demand by the Justice Department that will make the
messaging app wiretapped across all devices.

According to sources close to Reuters, the US government is trying to force Facebook to break
the encryption in its popular Messenger app – so the law enforcement can listen to a
suspect’s voice conversations in a criminal probe.

There is even a case that was not reported – held in a federal court in California and proceeding
under seal. Even though no filings are publicly available, three people close to Reuters told the
media outlet that Facebook is contesting the U.S. Department of Justice’s demand.

The judge, in this case, heard arguments earlier this month, on a government motion that aims
to hold Facebook in contempt of court for refusing to carry out the surveillance request,
according to the sources who are now anonymous.

Both Facebook and the Department of Justice declined to comment on the case. However, it is
certain that the Messenger issue arose in Fresno, California – as part of the investigation of the
MS-13 gang, according to the sources.

Facebook is right now arguing that its Messenger voice calls are encrypted end-to-end, which
means that only the two parties have access to the conversation, according to the two people
briefed on the case. The end-to-end encrypted communications, by contrast, go directly from
one user to another without revealing anything intelligible to providers.

Right now, legal experts are taking sides about whether the government would likely to be able
to force Facebook to comply.