Google Strives To Encrypt Android Phones
Data stored in Android phones can be easily viewed by law enforcers.
If the San Bernardino killer Syed Rizwan Farook would have been an Android phone user, investigators would be able to access the data because few Android phones are encrypted.
The Android manufacturer, Google, does not want it this way. The American search company has pushed the encryption technology for Android phones. It encrypts its own range of Nexus devices automatically. However, the rest of the handset manufacturers have resisted due to their concern that encryption-scrambling data, such as videos, pictures and contacts, hurt the performance of a phone.
Google has not insisted for fear of moving device manufacturers away from its official Android model, which helps it to earn a lot of money. The result is that experts have estimated less than 10% of the 1.4 billion Android phones of the world are encrypted which differs a lot from 95% of the iPhones of Apple. This includes iPhone of Mr. Rizwan that is now the focus of a high-stake battle between the American government and Cupertino based company, which leads to questions regarding security and privacy in the digital era.
The difference between both leading mobile-operating technologies underscores the company’s challenge in corralling the growing Android technology network of over 4000 devices and 400 makers. The mapping company provides its Android software to lure a larger number of users towards its services.
Device manufacturers are required by Alphabet’s unit to meet specific conditions to use important services offered by Google, such as maps and search, as well as Android . Finally, device manufacturers are allowed to use the software as they want.
On the contrary, the smartphone manufacturing company controls both software and hardware on iPhones. It pushes users to use its latest version of iOS software. When phones are not encrypted, law enforcers can see their contents conveniently. Authorities use special software to unlock locked phones with passcodes - but unencrypted - Android products in around an hour, stated an investigator of Gendarmerie Nationale of France.
In November, the attorney of the Manhattan district told passcodes could be bypassed on some of the older Android phones, while Google can reset passcodes remotely. Google told it fulfilled 63% of 65,500 government requests for user data in June last year.
The tech organization's most recent version of Marshmallow 6.0 requires device manufacturers to encrypt phones containing high-powered processors. Due to this, high-tech Android phones in 2016 and later will be launched with encryption. In other news, Reuters has reported that in an anti-monopoly case, an appeal filed by Google has been turned down by a Russian court.
