In this episode, Matthew D. Green joins Udbhav Tiwari to delve into the debate surrounding end-to-end encryption. In February, the Indian government issued new rules requiring companies like WhatsApp to implement traceability in their end-to-end encrypted communications platforms. The decision originated from the government’s concerns about the proliferation of illegal activities on these services, including terrorism, child-abuse, and the spread of fake news. India’s actions come amidst a growing global debate concerning government access to encrypted data. While advocates claim that state access to end-to-end encrypted messages benefits national security, opponents argue that it constitutes a dangerous breach of privacy, while worsening cybersecurity standards.

Is it possible to apply traceability without impacting the core benefits of end-to-end encryption? Could India’s adoption of this requirement hamper the cybersecurity of the country? And finally, how will the growing concerns about this system impact the future of encryption technology?

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EPISODE CONTRIBUTORS

Matthew Green is an associate professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University. He is a nationally recognized expert on applied cryptography and cryptographic engineering. He is one of the creators of the Zerocash protocol, which is used by the Zcash cryptocurrency, and is also a founder of the encryption startup Zeutro. Twitter: @matthew_d_green

Udbhav Tiwari is a public policy advisor for Mozilla and a nonresident fellow at Carnegie India. Twitter: @udbhav_tiwari

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Additional Reading:

1. A Few Thoughts on Cryptographic Engineering by Matthew Green (Blog)

Carnegie Publications on the Encryption Debate Across the World:

1. Understanding the Encryption Debate in India by Anirudh Burman and Prateek Jha

2. The Encryption Debate in India: 2021 Update by Trisha Ray

3. The Encryption Debate in China: 2021 Update by Lorand Laskai, Adam Segal

4. The Encryption Debate in Brazil: 2021 Update by Priscilla Silva, Ana Lara Mangeth, Christian Perrone

5. The Encryption Debate in Australia: 2021 Update by Stilgherrian

6. The Encryption Debate in Germany: 2021 Update by Sven Herpif, Julia Schuetze

7. The Encryption Debate in the European Union: 2021 Update by Maria Koomen

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