Last year there was a big fuss over how the US law enforcement agencies were trying to get Apple to create a backdoor for their iPhones so that they can access encrypted information. Basically the backdoor was supposed to be for the “good guys” only, but obviously not many felt the same way about it.
Now it seems that over in Australia, the government is also hoping that they can convince Apple to do the same for them. Speaking to Sky News (via Cult of Mac), Australia’s Attorney-General George Brandis revealed that he will be meeting with a representative from Apple this week to discuss the subject of encryption. While Brandis did not mention anything about backdoors, the report says that that will be the agenda that he will be pushing for.
Brandis was quoted as telling Sky News, “We will also be legislating so that we do have that coercive power if need be if we don’t get the cooperation we seek.” Whether or not they will be successful remains to be seen, especially given that Apple has successfully fended off attempts by the US government and their law enforcement agencies.
This has led to the FBI seeking third-party help in cracking Apple’s encryption. Just last week it was reported that a new law proposed in Australia could force tech companies to decrypt messages at the request of local law enforcement.
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