The Manhattan district attorney and the New York Police Department may want to think twice before they use a hashtag to promote a campaign on a controversial topic.
On Monday, the coalition launched a campaign urging U.S. congress to pass legislation that would require tech companies to give law enforcement a way to access information on encrypted phones and other devices.
READ MORE: Can law enforcement legally access data on your smartphone in Canada?
Manhattan Attorney General Cyrus R. Valance kicked off the campaign during a press conference in New York in front of a dozen signs using the campaign slogan #UnlockJustice.
But it didn’t take long for the anti-encryption hashtag to be hijacked by privacy advocates.
Several security experts, privacy activists and average smartphone users concerned about government surveillance began using the hashtag to criticize the idea of forcing tech companies to hack users’ devices.
The debate over encryption has become quite heated ever since the FBI asked Apple to hack an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters in February. The case sparked an international debate about data privacy and the government’s power over tech companies.
READ MORE: The FBI vs Apple case may be over, but the battle is just beginning
Microsoft is now involved in its own legal row with the U.S. government. Last week, the company announced it was suing the Justice Department over its use of court orders requiring the company to turn over customer files stored in its computer centres – often without notifying the customer involved.
A Senate bill now being drafted would effectively prohibit unbreakable encryption and require companies to help the government access data on a computer or mobile device with a warrant.
The bill is being finalized by the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and the top Democrat, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. But it remains unclear when the bill will be introduced.
Tech companies, civil liberties groups and some members of Congress have railed against the draft, saying that it would effectively require the companies to create “back doors” into encrypted devices and undermine security for everyone.
– With files from The Associated Press
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