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FTC Chair Urges Tech Companies to Maintain Encryption Standards

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Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Andrew Ferguson has urged major US tech companies to resist foreign government pressures to weaken encryption standards. Ferguson emphasized the importance of encryption in maintaining public discourse and protecting user privacy. The warning comes amid growing international efforts to mandate backdoor access to encrypted data. Ferguson's letter highlights the potential for foreign laws to lead to censorship and degraded security measures. He warned that complying with these regulations could violate the FTC Act by deceiving consumers about the security of their data.

Timeline

  1. 25.08.2025 22:58 1 articles · 1mo ago

    FTC Chair Warns Tech Companies About Foreign Encryption Pressures

    On August 25, 2025, FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson sent letters to major US tech companies, urging them to resist foreign government pressures to weaken encryption standards. Ferguson emphasized the importance of encryption in maintaining public discourse and protecting user privacy. The warning comes amid growing international efforts to mandate backdoor access to encrypted data. Ferguson's letter highlights the potential for foreign laws to lead to censorship and degraded security measures. He warned that complying with these regulations could violate the FTC Act by deceiving consumers about the security of their data.

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Information Snippets

  • FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson sent letters to executives at major tech companies, including Akamai, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Cloudflare, Discord, GoDaddy, Meta, Microsoft, Signal, Snap, Slack, and X.

    First reported: 25.08.2025 22:58
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Ferguson's letter criticizes foreign governments, particularly the UK, for implementing laws that require backdoor access to encrypted data.

    First reported: 25.08.2025 22:58
    1 source, 1 article
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  • The letter mentions the European Union's Digital Services Act (DSA) and the UK's Online Safety Act and Investigatory Powers Act as examples of laws pressuring companies to weaken security.

    First reported: 25.08.2025 22:58
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Ferguson warns that complying with foreign encryption regulations could violate Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits deceptive practices.

    First reported: 25.08.2025 22:58
    1 source, 1 article
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  • Apple removed the Advanced Data Protection feature for users in the UK due to government pressure.

    First reported: 25.08.2025 22:58
    1 source, 1 article
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Similar Happenings

FTC warns tech giants against foreign demands to weaken encryption

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a warning to major U.S. tech companies, cautioning them against complying with foreign government demands that would weaken data security, compromise encryption, or impose censorship. The FTC emphasizes that such actions would violate the FTC Act and expose companies to legal consequences. The warning comes in the context of recent foreign laws, such as the EU's Digital Services Act and the UK's Online Safety and Investigatory Powers Acts, which the FTC argues undermine American users' freedoms. The FTC's letter was sent to companies including Akamai, Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Cloudflare, Discord, GoDaddy, Meta, Microsoft, Signal, Snap, Slack, and X (Twitter). The FTC's warning follows Apple's recent decision to remove support for iCloud end-to-end encryption in the UK due to government demands for a backdoor, which was later retracted. The FTC has invited the recipients to discuss the issue further on August 28, 2025. The FTC expressed concern that tech companies might simplify compliance with foreign laws by censoring Americans or subjecting them to increased foreign surveillance. The FTC also warned that using weak encryption to comply with foreign government demands can violate the FTC Act if the company advertises secure communications.

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