In today’s interconnected world, encryption stands as the foremost technology safeguarding our online security and facilitating free speech. It ensures that internet-enabled communications offer the same level of privacy as in physical conversations. While encryption plays a pivotal role in preserving individual privacy, it can occasionally impede the state’s ability to carry out legitimate security actions. Most discussions tend to frame this debate as a Privacy vs. Security dilemma. To gain a more nuanced perspective, we engaged with key stakeholders and conducted semi-structured interviews with seasoned professionals from intelligence and law enforcement agencies, aiming to comprehend the challenges they encounter in investigating cybercrimes, especially in light of end-to-end encryption technology.
The study by The Dialogue and DeepStrat is based on qualitative inputs from veterans in law enforcement, intelligence agencies, the military, India’s tech community, and the tech community as a study of global legal and technical standards recommended. Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Rajesh Pant, India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator, released the report at its launch event.
Authors: Mr. Yashovardhan Azad, IPS (Retd.) Chairman, DeepStrat, Mr. Anand Venkatnarayanan Strategic Advisor, DeepStrat, Mr. Pranav Bhaskar Tiwari Programme Manager, The Dialogue, Mr. Sreyan Chatterjee, Senior Research Manager, The Dialogue
Editor: Mr. Saikat Datta, Designated & Founding Partner, DeepStrat
