[Cryptography] Crypto being blamed in the London riots.

[Nick]

> Quoting from the New York Times:
> 
>   David Lammy, Britain's intellectual property minister, also called
>   for a suspension of Blackberry's encrypted instant message service.
>   Many rioters, exploiting that service, had been able to organize mobs
>   and outrun the police, who were ill-equipped to monitor it.

IIRC this came up last year when a Middle Eastern country (I forget 
which) were threatening to not let RIM operate unless they could 
intercept blackberry messages.

However, as was pointed out then, apparently the encryption is to & 
from RIM's servers, not the recipient. So RIM have access to all the 
'secret' messages. I expect GCHQ & the Met will make sure said 
systems are patched in to their surveillance programme in no time.

Unfortunately the present climate in England is such that I can't 
imagine such measures being anything but lauded.
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