Encryption, Hacking, and App Blocking: interview with Amie Stepanovich

Amie Stepanovich, U.S. Policy Manager at Access Now, a non-profit organization dedicated to digital rights, was in Brazil in March for a conference at the University of São Paulo, School of Law. In that occasion, the researcher and activist also sat down with Dennys Antonialli and Beatriz Kira, director and lead researcher at InternetLab for a conversation on several topics: from the functioning of encryption and the importance of this data security technique to government hacking and app blocking. Underlying Amie’s comments are a concern with defending digital rights in the digital age.

These issues were provoked or advanced by the three WhatsApp blocking cases in Brazil. At the root of the dispute between authorities and the company are complex issues such as the limits of Brazilian jurisdiction over a company based abroad, the obstacles imposed by end-to-end encryption for accessing user information, the legality of blocking orders before the Marco Civil da Internet (Brazilian Internet Civil Rights Framework), and the compatibility of these decisions with the constitutional right to freedom of communication. The Brazilian Supreme Court will soon rule on the compatibility of WhatsApp blocking with freedom of communication (ADPF 403) and the constitutionality of Art. 12 of the Marco Civil (ADI 5527). It will also hold two public hearings on the matter on June 2nd and 5th.

In this sense, this interview with Amie addresses topics that are on the Law and Justice agenda in the Brazilian scenario. See below the videos of the interview.

What is encryption and what are its purposes?