Reject any law, policy, or mandate that would undermine our security.
The government should not erode the security of our devices or applications, pressure companies to keep and allow government access to our data, mandate implementation of vulnerabilities or backdoors into products, or have disproportionate access to the keys to private data.
We demand privacy, security, and integrity for our communications and systems. As a public, we should be confident that the services we use haven’t been weakened or compromised by government mandate or pressure. No legislation, executive order, or private agreement with the government should undermine our rights.
Weakening encryption weakens the entire Internet. Please endorse strong encryption, and encourage other world leaders to do the same.
Response to Petition
We want to hear from you on encryption:
Thank you for signing the petition on strong encryption and speaking out on this important national debate. As the President has said, "There's no scenario in which we don't want really strong encryption." It is critical that the government, the private sector, and other experts regularly engage to understand the impacts of encryption on national security, public health and safety, economic competitiveness, privacy, cybersecurity, and human rights around the world.
This conversation about encryption is also part of a broader conversation about what we, as a nation, can do to fight terrorism as it evolves online. That is why, in his address to the nation on Sunday, the President reiterated the Administration’s call for America’s technology community and law enforcement and counter-terrorism officials to work together to fight terrorism. American technologists have a unique perspective that makes them essential in finding new ways to combat it. They are the best and most creative in the world, and we need them to bring their expertise, innovation, and creativity to bear against the threat of terrorism.
This week, administration officials will sit down with the creators of this petition to hear directly from them about their priorities and concerns.
We also want to hear from you. Share your comments and questions here, and we'll report back after the meeting.
This is a critical conversation, and we want to hear from as many voices as we can.
Thanks again for your participation in We the People.
Ed Felten
Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer
Michael Daniel
Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator
Update: 12/24/15
An update on your petition on strong encryption:
Thank you again for signing the We the People petition on strong encryption and getting involved with this important debate.
We wanted to give you a quick update on the process so far:
This month, administration officials met with some of the original petition signers to listen to their priorities and concerns regarding encryption. In our last correspondence, we asked for your thoughts and questions -- and you answered.
So far we've received over 5,000 responses from you, which we are carefully reviewing.
In the meantime, watch what the President had to say about bringing law enforcement, intelligence, and high-tech companies together:
Thanks, and we'll be in touch soon.
-- The We the People Team