Barr says that the DOJ acknowledges the importance of strong encryption for services like banking, commerce and the protection of users’ privacy, but reiterates that security improvements to the virtual world “should not make us more vulnerable in the physical world”.
“We must find a way to balance the need to secure data with public safety and the need for law enforcement to access the information they need to safeguard the public, investigate crimes and prevent future criminal activity,” Barr states.
The DOJ asked that Facebook allow law enforcement agencies to access the required content in a lawful manner.