IGF 2023 WS #567 Encrypted communication investigation: 3 unneeded methods

Organizer 1: Paulo Rená da Silva Santarém, Aqualtune Lab
Organizer 2: Luiza Dutra, IRIS - Institute for Research on Internet and Society
Organizer 3: Victor Vieira, Institute for Research on Internet & Society - IRIS

Speaker 1: Namrata Maheshwari, Civil Society, Asia-Pacific Group
Speaker 2: Paulo Rená da Silva Santarém, Civil Society, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)
Speaker 3: Koffi Sename Agbodjinou, Civil Society, African Group

Moderator

Luiza Dutra, Private Sector, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Online Moderator

Victor Vieira, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Rapporteur

Victor Vieira, Technical Community, Latin American and Caribbean Group (GRULAC)

Format

Panel - 90 Min

Policy Question(s)

i) What are the scenarios that developed such methods as encryption breaking alternatives in your context of social insertion, based on experiences in your country?
ii) What are the effects of these methods on the political and normative field of your country?
iii) And is there a technopolitical encouragement of this debate in your political context?

What will participants gain from attending this session? As encryption poses challenges for law enforcement agencies worldwide, this workshop explores three so-called "alternative" methods of investigating private encrypted communications (1. Instant Messages Traceability, 2. Client Side Scanning, and 3. Government Hacking), which promise to preserve encryption, human rights, and investigation efficiency. The perspectives of Brazil, India and Togo on these global questions will be explored, combining presentations, case studies, and group discussions, allowing participants to engage with experts, law enforcement representatives, human rights champions, and civil society activists. Valuable insights into investigating private encrypted communications and the associated legal, technical, and ethical considerations are expected. By the end, you will have a well-rounded understanding of these three unneeded methods, drawing on experiences from these three countries.

Description:

In this engaging workshop session, we will delve into the fascinating world of three so-called “alternative” methods to investigate private encrypted communications. As encryption became increasingly prevalent, it posed new challenges for law enforcement agencies and governments worldwide. This workshop aims to shed light on the flaws of three approaches supposed to tackle these challenges without harming encryption and balancing human rights protection and investigations eficiency.
The three unneeded methods will be explored under Brazilian perspective of this global set of questions, as it follows:
1. Instant Messages Traceability:
a) Understanding the architecture of popular instant messaging platforms.
b) Exploring metadata analysis and network traffic monitoring techniques.
c) Examining case studies and legal implications of traceability.
2. Client Side Scanning:
a) Unveiling the concept of client side scanning for encrypted communications.
b) Analyzing the technical aspects and limitations of this method.
c) Discussing ethical concerns and user privacy implications.
3. Government Hacking:
a) Exploring the role of governments in hacking private encrypted communications.
b) Evaluating the legal and ethical boundaries surrounding government hacking.
c) Debating the effectiveness and potential consequences of this approach.
This workshop will be interactive and collaborative, combining presentations, case studies, and group discussions to foster a comprehensive understanding, and to provide participants with a high level experience of this discussion.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage – online previously to the event, and online and offline during the session – with industry experts, law enforcement representatives, human rights champions and civil society activists.
Attendees will gain valuable insights into the intricacies of investigating private encrypted communications and the associated legal, technical, and ethical considerations. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a well-rounded understanding of how not-so alternative are these three methods for conducting investigations, considering the experiences of Brazil, India and Togo.

Expected Outcomes

1. Implementation of a preliminary engagement session on IRIS online channels, aimed at proactively anticipating public participation by gathering previously selected questions. This enables us to inform participants in advance that their questions will be addressed during the Workshop at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).
2. Production and dissemination of a comprehensive report in both Portuguese and Spanish, summarizing the key presentations, speaker discussions, and public dialogues conducted during the Workshop.
3. Facilitation of opportunities for promoting advocacy on the core topic, leveraging the presentations and exchange of experiences from diverse social contexts shared by the panelists.

Hybrid Format: The proposed workshop will be broadcast online, from the Zoom app, for participants who are unable to attend in person on the scheduled date. In the Zoom application, online participants will be able to propose questions from the A&Q available. The table moderator will select the questions sent and organize the debate in the previously selected time;
Each debater will have time to answer the main question and, after all the presentations, extra time to answer the selected questions.