Comment on Obama: 'Absolutist' view won't solve encryption debate

Obama: 'Absolutist' view won't solve encryption debate

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — President Barack Obama said Friday that the encryption versus national security debate, currently being played out in Apple's legal fight against the federal government, won't be settled by taking an "absolutist view."Addressing an audience of tech enthusiasts meeting in the Texas capital, Obama said both values are important.He restated his commitment to strong encryption, but also asked how will government catch child pornographers or disrupt terrorist plots if smartphones and other electronic devices are made ways that keep law enforcement from accessing the data stored on them."My conclusion, so far, is you cannot take an absolutist view on this," Obama said at the South by Southwest Interactive festival.During a question-and-answer session with Evan Smith, CEO and editor in chief of The Texas Tribune, Smith asked Obama "where do you come down" on the question of balancing law enforcement's needs with an individual's right to privacy.Obama said government shouldn't be able to "just willy nilly" get into smartphones that are full of very personal data.

 

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