Evan from Fight for the Future writes, “Everyone is focused on the high profile fight between Apple and the FBI, which is a good thing, because the outcome of this case will affect all of us.”
“But it will affect some people differently than others. I wrote a piece with Victoria Ruiz of the punk band Downtown Boys about how issues of encryption and privacy impact LGBTQ communities, who have heightened and specific needs for digital security.”
LGBTQ people around the world depend on encryption every day to stay alive and to protect themselves from violence and discrimination, relying on the basic security features of their phones to prevent online bullies, stalkers, and others from prying into their personal lives and using their sexuality or gender identity against them.
In areas where being openly queer is dangerous, queer and trans people would be forced into near complete isolation without the ability to connect safely through apps, online forums, and other venues that are only kept safe and private by encryption technology.
These situations are not just theoretical. Terrifying real life examples abound, like the teacher who was targeted by for being gay, and later fired, after his Dropbox account was hacked and a sex video was posted on his school’s website. Or the time a Russian gay dating app was breached, likely by the government, and tens of thousands of users received a message threatening them with arrest under the country’s anti-gay “propaganda” laws.
If You Care About LGBTQ Lives, You Should Oppose the FBI on iPhone Encryption [Evan Greer and Victoria Ruiz/Vice]