Covered at Reason 24/7: DEA Snooping Thwarted by Apple Messaging Encryption, Even With Warrants
The DEA can't get at some internet messages sent via Apple devices even when it has a warrant.
Encryption used in Apple's iMessage chat service has stymied attempts by federal drug enforcement agents to eavesdrop on suspects' conversations, an internal government document reveals.
An internal Drug Enforcement Administration document seen by CNET discusses a February 2013 criminal investigation and warns that because of the use of encryption, "it is impossible tointercept iMessages between two Apple devices" even with a court order approved by a federal judge.
The DEA's warning, marked "law enforcement sensitive," is the most detailed example to date of the technological obstacles—FBI director Robert Mueller has called it the "Going Dark" problem—that police face when attempting to conduct court-authorized surveillance on non-traditional forms of communication.
Brave new world.
Follow these stories and more at Reason 24/7 and don't forget you can e-mail stories to us at 24_7@reason.com and tweet us at @reason247.
