House forms bipartisan group on encryption

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), and rankings members Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) and John Conyers (D-MI) announced the formation of a working group on encryption on Monday.

The group will work to find solutions to the complicated legal and political questions about strong encryption, while also working to protect the ability of law enforcement to identify obvious threats and prevent crime.

“The widespread use of strong encryption is important to protecting Americans’ privacy,” the representatives said. “We also recognize that challenges remain for law enforcement agencies seeking to disrupt criminals and terrorists from doing us harm. The bipartisan encryption working group will examine the issues surrounding this ongoing national debate. Members will work toward finding solutions that allow law enforcement agencies to fulfill their responsibility without harming the competitiveness of the U.S. technology sector or the privacy and security protections that encryption provides for U.S. citizens. We look forward to continuing our work on this important issue facing our country.”

The group’s members will include Reps. Bill Johnson (R-OH), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Joe Kennedy III (D-MA), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Suzan DelBene (D-WA).