[Cryptography] new wiretap resistance in iOS 8

[John Denker]

Quoting from the new iOS 8 privacy policy announced 
tonight Wed Sep 17.

> Apple has no way to decrypt iMessage and FaceTime data when it’s in
> transit between devices. So unlike other companies’ messaging
> services, Apple doesn’t scan your communications, and we wouldn’t be
> able to comply with a wiretap order even if we wanted to.

  https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-built-in/

This is new.

This is widely being interpreted as payback for 
 a) NSA attacks against Apple,
 b) wiretap orders that Apple considers overly broad, and
 c) lack of adequate legal process to challenge wiretap orders.

===========================

I reckon we are now all set for a reprise of the Clipper-chip
wars of the mid-1990s.  Legislation will be introduced to 
compel manufacturers to cripple their crypto.  Opponents will 
argue that when privacy is outlawed, only outlaws will have 
privacy.  They will also bring up international competitiveness 
issues.  And superencryption.  And so on.