<h2 id="kdl" class="anchor"><a href="#kdl"><i class="fas fa-link anchor-icon"></i></a> Key Disclosure Law</h2>

<h3>Who is required to hand over the encryption keys to authorities?</h3>

<p>Mandatory <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_disclosure_law">key disclosure laws</a> require individuals to turn over encryption keys to law enforcement conducting a criminal investigation. How these laws are implemented (who may be legally compelled to assist) vary from nation to nation, but a warrant is generally required. Defenses against key disclosure laws include steganography and encrypting data in a way that provides plausible deniability.</p>  <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steganography">Steganography</a> involves hiding sensitive information (which may be encrypted) inside of ordinary data (for example, encrypting an image file and then hiding it in an audio file). With plausible deniability, data is encrypted in a way that prevents an adversary from being able to prove that the information they are after exists (for example, one password may decrypt benign data and another password, used on the same file, could decrypt sensitive data).</p>

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<p>* <em>People who know how to access a system may be ordered to share their knowledge. However, this doesn't apply to the suspect itself or family members.</em></p>

<h3>Related Information</h3>

<ul>
  <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_disclosure_law">Wikipedia page on key disclosure law</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/1523/can-a-us-citizen-be-required-to-provide-the-authentication-key-for-encrypted-dat">law.stackexchange.com question about key disclosure law in US</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://peertube.mastodon.host/videos/watch/e09915eb-5962-4830-a02f-8da5c2b59e71">DEFCON 20: Crypto and the Cops: the Law of Key Disclosure and Forced Decryption</a></li>
</ul>

<h3 id="usa" class="anchor">Why is it not recommended to choose a US-based service?</h3>

<img src="/assets/img/legacy_svg/layout/great_seal_of_the_united_states_obverse.svg" width="200" height="200" class="img-fluid float-end ms-3" alt="USA">

<p>Services based in the United States are not recommended because of the country's surveillance programs and use of <a href="https://www.eff.org/issues/national-security-letters/faq">National Security Letters</a> (NSLs) with accompanying gag orders, which forbid the recipient from talking about the request. This combination allows the government to <a href="https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2013/08/more_on_the_nsa.html">secretly force</a> companies to grant complete access to customer data and transform the service into a tool of mass surveillance.</p>

<p>An example of this is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavabit#Suspension_and_gag_order">Lavabit</a> – a secure email service created by Ladar Levison. The FBI <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/nzz888/lavabit-founder-ladar-levison-discusses-his-federal-battle-for-privacy">requested</a> Snowden's records after finding out that he used the service. Since Lavabit did not keep logs and email content was stored encrypted, the FBI served a subpoena (with a gag order) for the service's SSL keys. Having the SSL keys would allow them to access
communications (both metadata and unencrypted content) in real time for all of Lavabit's customers, not just Snowden's.</p>

<p>Ultimately, Levison turned over the SSL keys and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/20/why-did-lavabit-shut-down-snowden-email">shut down</a> the service at the same time. The US government then <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/id/100962389">threatened Levison with arrest</a>, saying that shutting down the service was a violation of the court order.</p>

<h3>Related Information</h3>

<ul>
  <li><a href="https://www.bestvpn.com/the-ultimate-privacy-guide/#avoidus">Avoid all US and UK based services</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surespot#History">Proof that warrant canaries work based on the surespot example.</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UKUSA_Agreement">The United Kingdom – United States of America Agreement (UKUSA)</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavabit#Suspension_and_gag_order">Lavabit: Suspension and gag order</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_disclosure_law">Key disclosure law</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_surveillance">Wikipedia: Mass Surveillance</a></li>
</ul>
