US Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has introduced a bill on the Senate floor that takes aim at government mandates requiring companies to build back doors into their mobile phones and PCs.

Dubbed the Secure Data Act, the bill, if enacted, would eliminate any government mandate that would force companies to intentionally build back doors into their products and allow for easy spying on devices. The bill, which was introduced Thursday, attempts to bridge the gap between privacy and data security, Wyden’s office said in a statement Thursday.

“Strong computer security can rebuild consumer trust that has been shaken by years of misstatements by intelligence agencies about mass surveillance of Americans,” Wyden said in a statement. “This bill sends a message to leaders of those agencies to stop recklessly pushing for new ways to vacuum up Americans’ private information, and instead put that effort into rebuilding public trust.”

Files leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden show the US government’s widespread ability to access company networks and devices to collect information.

Read the Full Article: Source – c|net
http://www.cnet.com/news/us-senator-introduces-bill-to-ban-government-backdoors-in-phones-pcs/

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