UK Government to force handover of encryption keys

[skroo]

Missed this yesterday. From ZDNet:

"The UK Government is preparing to give the police the authority to force organisations and individuals to disclose encryption keys, a move which has outraged some security and civil rights experts.

The powers are contained within Part 3 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA). RIPA was introduced in 2000, but the government has held back from bringing Part 3 into effect. Now, more than five years after the original act was passed, the Home Office is seeking to exercise the powers within Part Three of RIPA."

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39269746,00.htm

[Deviant Ollam]

and things in the U.K. just keep marching right along. i have no doubt whatsoever in my mind that when totalitarianism resurfaces in the industrialized world, it will come to the shores of england first.

on the opposite side of the "ranting / learning" coin which is the currency of my life... i have to ask, exactly how does a government think that they can enforce such a provision at the individual level? i can understand forcing organizations (like, say, a person's law firm) to disclose keys (i mean i understand how it could happen, i don't for one instant agree with it) but how do you get a person to do so, other than asking them? i mean, is beating the key out of them going to become policy? what about a person's right to not self-incriminate? (i'm not aware of how well UK law has provisions like the american 5th amendment)

[skroo]

and things in the U.K. just keep marching right along. i have no doubt whatsoever in my mind that when totalitarianism resurfaces in the industrialized world, it will come to the shores of england first.

If anything, it's probably ahead of schedule.

(i'm not aware of how well UK law has provisions like the american 5th amendment)

No direct equivalent, from what I remember. There are provisions for it, but not in exactly the same way, which makes it inherently weaker.

[Gobniu]

"The UK Government is preparing to give the police the authority to force organisations and individuals to disclose encryption keys, a move which has outraged some security and civil rights experts."

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39269746,00.htm

That == some scary S**t. That just reaffirms my belief in not traveling abroad w/o proper preparations.

**EDIT**

Now I know why the founding fathers chose French ideas

[Deviant Ollam]

Now I know why the founding fathers chose French ideas

heh... that has the makings of a decent sig file quote. something along the lines of "everyday that i see the deterioration of liberty in the UK makes me more and more glad our nation was founded on french principles"