End-to-end encryption and the third round of the ‘going dark’ debate

A new paper analyzes the current controversies over end-to-end encryption (E2EE), which governments worldwide are seeking to limit for law enforcement and national security purposes. This marks the third round of the ‘going dark’ debate, examining the technical and market developments surrounding E2EE. The analysis updates and expands on research from 2012, as first reported by Schneier on Security.

The paper identifies five distinct technical scenarios for E2EE operation, highlighting a gap between the assumption of absolute lawful access blockage and practical communication realities. It also demonstrates that E2EE is integrated across the technology stack, including TLS, SSH, VPNs, and Zero Trust Architecture, which is now mandated by U.S. and EU law. Broad restrictions on E2EE would significantly impact cybersecurity, commerce, and government operations. The authors conclude that lessons from the previous ‘golden age of surveillance’ remain relevant, and new government arguments for restricting effective encryption warrant skepticism.

Source: Schneier on Security