Pierluigi Paganini
March 03, 2016
Governments worldwide continue to intensify their pressure on the IT giants requesting the access to users’ data in the name of security.
The US Government wants Apple unlock its mobile devices to access data, the Brazilian Government arrested the Facebook Latin America VP because the company refused to provide access to WhatsApp data to law enforcement in drug trafficking investigation.
The United States is not the only one where Apple is battling with the federal authorities over iPhone encryption.The last Government in order of time that is threatening IT giants is the French one, according to The Local website, Apple in fact could face $1 Million in fine each time it refused to unlock an iPhone in France.
The same penalty could apply to Google if the company refuses to give access users’ data to the French authorities.
A member of French Socialist Party, Yann Galut, has submitted an amendment to a bill aimed at strengthening the French government’s ability to fight against terrorism.
“On Monday, French Socialist MP Yann Galut proposed an amendment to French law that – if passed – would see the US companies punished if they didn’t give French officials backdoor access to terrorists’ phones. ” states The Local website
“Galut said on Monday that companies like Apple and Google should be fined up to €1 million when they didn’t cooperate in such cases. “
“We are faced with a legal vacuum when it comes to data encryption, and it’s blocking judicial investigations,” Galut told Le Parisien.
“Only money will force these extremely powerful companies like Apple and Google to comply. They are hiding behind a supposed privacy protection, but they’re quick to make commercial use of personal data that they’re collecting.”
Galut sustains that the punishment aims to discourage companies that were operating under “total bad faith”.
The French law enforcement seized eight mobile last year in investigations on suspects for terrorism, in all the cases the police was not able to access their content. The response of the France Government is a new law framework to oblige IT companies to comply with court orders.
The IT giants, including Google, Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, sided with Apple against the request of the US Government in the San Bernardino case.
Let’s wait for the final judgement on the case.
(Security Affairs – Apple, French Gov)
