If two politicians have their way, a new encryption bill would be able to override weak state-level encryption bills.
As reported by the Verge, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX) will be introducing a bill Wednesday that would be able to override poor state-level encryption bills.
The Encrypt Act, or Ensuring National Constitutional Rights of Your Private Telecommunications Act, would essentially preempt states' encryption laws, as the politicians believe that varying encryption bills from state-to-state leave the country's smartphones vulnerable.
"In general — a state or political subdivision of a state may not mandate or request that a manufacturer, developer, seller, or provider of covered products or services (1) design or alter the security functions in its product or service to allow the surveillance of any user of such product or service, or to allow the physical search of such product, by any agency or instrumentality of a state, a political subdivision of a state, or the United States," the central argument of the proposed bill reads. "Or (2) have the ability to decrypt or otherwise render intelligible information that is encrypted or otherwise rendered unintelligible using its product or service."
The Verge additionally reports that the Encrypt Act won't be the only encryption bill proposed this year, citing Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) as fellow U.S. politicians who will introduce a bill to limit encrypted devices.
Let's see how this winds up.
