An FBI database flaw led the agency to overstate how many encrypted mobile devices it couldn’t unlock in 2017, but even so, the government and private sector still need to solve the problem, current and former FBI and DOJ officials told Bloomberg Law.
FBI and DOJ officials in recent months have discussed the number of encrypted mobile devices that law enforcement agencies can’t access, known as the “going-dark” problem. These devices include those recovered as part of FBI investigations and those submitted to the agency by state and local law enforcement agencies. As recently as May 8, a DOJ official ...