RightsCon Toronto 2018

This session explores the current encryption debate from a critical, multi-stakeholder perspective. The politics of encryption are highly contested, engaging difficult legal questions and deeply held values. Encryption enables human rights and fundamental freedoms, fosters economic innovation, and is a critical guarantor of global security and public safety. The technology is essential to the work of human rights advocates journalists, lawyers, and government officials themselves. At the same time, it remains a source of investigative friction, posing barriers to law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the course of their duties.

Historically, attempts to craft tailored and rights-respecting policy in response to those challenges have failed. Yet over the last year, there has been a renewed and concerted effort from high level officials (particularly in Five Eyes countries) to secure new powers to limit public access to strong encryption. Against this backdrop, the panel will debate established legal narratives, examine investigative challenges, and explore the human rights impacts (and practical consequences) of encryption policy. This session also aims to lay the groundwork for deeper conversations, more intensive workshops, and closed strategic meetings on the issue of encryption throughout RightsCon.