ACLU letter to Senate Judiciary Committee on July 8, 2015 Hearing, “Going Dark: Encryption, Technology, and the Balance Between Public Safety and Privacy”

This letter from the ACLU was submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee in connection with its July 8, 2015 hearing, “Going Dark: Encryption, Technology, and the Balance Between Public Safety and Privacy.” The letter urges against any proposal that would (1) remove the protections for strong, backdoor-free encryption in the Communication Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA); (2) require, request, or incentivize technology companies or communication providers to weaken encryption to enable greater government surveillance; or (3) incentivize, request, or mandate that technology companies retain information or metadata to circumvent encryption efforts.