House Homeland Security Committee Majority Staff Report: Going Dark, Going Forward

The House Homeland Security Committee has produced this primer to briefly describe important themes and considerations surrounding the widespread use of encryption technologies—including the practical and economic value encryption brings to certain industries and the wider market; the impact ubiquitous encryption is having on law enforcement; the ways in which various governments around the world are responding to this challenge; and a discussion of some existing legislative proposals. Finally, this document explains why future progress in addressing these challenges will likely depend on a more formal national discussion involving the necessary stakeholders in the form of a national commission on digital security.