Florida Fails To Pass Bill Requiring Encryption Backdoors For Social Media Accounts

A Florida bill that would have forced social media companies to provide an encryption backdoor for police access to user accounts and private messages has failed to pass into law. The Social Media Use by Minors bill was indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration in the House of Representatives earlier this week. The bill had already been advanced by lawmakers, but it required passage in both the House and Senate to take effect. The proposed legislation would have required social media firms to decrypt end-to-end encryption when law enforcement obtains a subpoena. This move was criticized by digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which called the bill "dangerous and dumb." Security professionals argue that creating a secure backdoor is impossible, and encryption backdoors put user data at risk of data breaches. The bill's failure to pass is a win for user privacy and security. The proposed legislation was problematic because subpoenas are typically issued by law enforcement agencies without judicial oversight. The bill's demise is a significant development in the ongoing debate over encryption and law enforcement access to private data. Overall, the failure of the bill is a positive outcome for users of social media platforms.