House bill would bar DOD from requiring software, hardware backdoors

摘要

The House's fiscal year 2021 defense appropriations bill would bar the Defense Department, including the National Security Agency, from paying or requiring companies to add security vulnerabilities, such as "backdoors" for encrypted communications, to their products. The House voted to adopt the provision as part of the FY-21 minibus appropriations bill passed by the chamber last week. Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) authored the amendment. The language "prohibits the use of DOD funds to require software and hardware companies to include backdoors and vulnerabilities or to scrap key privacy and safety features in their consumer goods," according to a summary of the provision. The proposed prohibition is the latest development in a long running debate over whether technology companies should create "backdoors" and other security vulnerabilities in their products so law enforcement and national security agencies can more easily conduct surveillance.