AfterDawn: Tech news

Android L will be fully encrypted right out of the box

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 19 Sep 2014 1:49 User comments (5)

Android L will be fully encrypted right out of the box

Android L will be fully encrypted by default, says Google, part of smartphone makers ongoing efforts to thwart "snooping" from the NSA, police or other government agencies.
While Google has offered encryption for some its Android devices since 2011, the average user has no idea how to turn it on, or figure out what it does. Google is changing that by making encryption default as soon as you activate the device. You must have the devices's password/pin to be able to see anything stored on the device.

"For over three years Android has offered encryption, and keys are not stored off of the device, so they cannot be shared with law enforcement," added Google's Niki Christoff. "As part of our next Android release, encryption will be enabled by default out of the box, so you won't even have to think about turning it on."

Apple's iOS 8 also offers the same out of the box encryption and Windows is likely to move in the same direction in the near future. Apple says the encryption is so good that nobody can unlock or recover data, including law enforcement agencies.

Source:
Washington Post

Previous Next  

5 user comments

120.9.2014 09:49

Quote:
Apple says the encryption is so good that nobody can unlock or recover data, including law enforcement agencies.

I'm sure... Only time will tell the accuracy of that bold claim.

222.9.2014 11:24

Quote:
Apple says the encryption is so good that nobody can unlock or recover data
No one but Apple. They'll be glad to pop in and out of your devices when their advertising partners deem it necessary.

325.9.2014 08:15

Quote:
Apple says the encryption is so good that nobody can unlock or recover data
It hardly matters when you can be forced to disclose the key in several countries. Even in the "constitutionally" protected US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_disclosure_law

44.10.2014 14:52

Smells like horse shit to me.

57.10.2014 00:27

Oh yeah. Just saw the 4Corners/Frontline report on this.

As I suspected, the NSA etc. has complete access to Google's DoubleClick tracker software. COMPLETE. So just forget anything about security from these psychos... as far as I'm concerned the inmates have taken over the asylum.

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Latest news

Disney to introduce a new movie theater certificate - competes with IMAX? Disney to introduce a new movie theater certificate - competes with IMAX? (20 Apr 2026 1:09)
IMAX has long been a kind of gold standard for movie theaters, guaranteeing a massive screen and certai other technical elements. Now Disney is establishing a competitor for IMAX, which goes by the name Infinity Vision.
The era of cheap AI is about to end - consumers and companies may experience a harsh reality very soon The era of cheap AI is about to end - consumers and companies may experience a harsh reality very soon (19 Apr 2026 12:58)
AI companies have allowed both consumers and businesses to use their developed AI models at a significantly lower cost than their actual expenses. A clear change is now coming to this, which could significantly alter the market.
Defunct companies started selling their former employees' email and Slack messages to AI companies Defunct companies started selling their former employees' email and Slack messages to AI companies (18 Apr 2026 12:27)
Technology companies that have gone bankrupt or have simply been shut down have found a new way to make a little more money at their final gasp. The companies are selling their employees' Slack, Teams, and email messages as training material for AI compan
Google starts penalizing sites that hijack the browser back button Google starts penalizing sites that "hijack" the browser back button (18 Apr 2026 2:35)
Google has announced that starting from June 2026 it will begin penalizing websites that hijack the browser back button.
Installing a fresh Windows 11 is now up to half an hour faster Installing a fresh Windows 11 is now up to half an hour faster (17 Apr 2026 11:11)
The update to Windows 11 released in April 2026 changes the way Windows is installed on a computer for the first time. User can now skip the previously mandatory updates during the installation phase.

News archive