Privacy group urges Ireland to drop work on encryption ‘backdoor law’

The Irish Communications Interception and Lawful Access Bill is still in development, with drafting yet to occur, but the Global Encryption Coalition wants it scrapped now.

A privacy coalition has urged the Irish government to abandon work on a pre-draft bill that would grant law enforcement access to encrypted messages.

Ryan Polk, an author at the Global Encryption Coalition (GEC), which advocates for and defends encryption worldwide, penned an open letter on Thursday, arguing that legislation proposed by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan could lead to increased cybercrime and deter businesses from the country.

“Any country that undermines encryption risks threatening the privacy and security of people far beyond its borders. But Ireland, as host to the EU headquarters of major tech companies including Apple and Meta, bears particular responsibility,” he said.

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