Crypto wars and app blocking: the debate on encryption regulation in the United States and Brazil

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5380/rfdufpr.v63i3.59422

Keywords:

Cryptography. Privacy. Law and technology. Data protection. Investigatory powers.

Abstract

This article aims to describe and analyze the debate on the legal regulation of cryptography and government access to encrypted data in the United States and Brazil, identifying similarities and differences between them. As the use of encryption mechanisms for private purposes (such as online communications and data storage) became more and more common, government authorities faced several difficulties in regard to the collection of data in the context of criminal investigations. This scenario led to debates about the need for a legal regulation of cryptography, imposing possible restrictions on its use. On the one hand, it would facilitate access by authorities, on the other hand, it could have disastrous consequences for the security and privacy of citizens. In this sense, we will firstly describe how the debate was conducted in the United States in the 1990s and in the 2010s – something that became known as the “crypto wars”. Then, we will present how the debate was conducted in Brazil, motivated by successive suspensions of the WhatsApp app in the country between 2015 and 2016. Finally, we will analyze the differences and similarities between the debates, pointing to possible consequences of their particularities.

Author Biographies

Carlos Augusto Liguori Filho, Escola de Direito da Fundação Getulio Vargas de São Paulo (FGV Direito SP)

Coordenador de projetos e pesquisador do Centro de Ensino e Pesquisa em Inovação da Escola de Direito da Fundação Getúlio Vargas de São Paulo (FGV Direito SP). Doutorando em Filosofia e Teoria Geral do Direito pela Universidade de São Paulo. Mestre em Direito e Desenvolvimento pela FGV Direito SP.

João Pedro Favaretto Salvador, Escola de Direito da Fundação Getulio Vargas de São Paulo (FGV Direito SP)

Pesquisador do Centro de Ensino e Pesquisa em Inovação da FGV Direito SP. Bacharel em Direito pela Universidade de São Paulo.

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Published

2018-12-22

How to Cite

Liguori Filho, C. A., & Salvador, J. P. F. (2018). Crypto wars and app blocking: the debate on encryption regulation in the United States and Brazil. Revista Da Faculdade De Direito UFPR, 63(3), 135–161. https://doi.org/10.5380/rfdufpr.v63i3.59422

Issue

Vol. 63 No. 3 (2018)

Section

Artigos

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