The issues around encryption have been ongoing for decades, but has gotten more attention after the recent killing sprees in Paris and California. The encryption of smartphones have become more sophisticated over the past two years and US administration officials are making the case for better access to encrypted data, saying new smartphone and encryption technologies have made it more difficult to thwart "malicious actors."
One of the solutions proposed is for companies like Google and Apple to roll back their encryption to the level of a year ago to enable access to smartphones with a warrant or court order. There have been investigations of murderers, rapists, and pedophiles stopped in their tracks due to their phones being encrypted.
Tech firms are not likely to voluntarily make changes to help law enforcement and risk their public image and be seen as tools of law enforcement or the NSA.
Privacy activists and encryption specialists in the private sector remain firm in resisting efforts to provide special access to investigators. They have stated that weakening encryption will only make us all less secure. Encryption offers many benefits, such as securing personal or business data and financial transactions. and can help deter smartphone thefts.
This whole issue is a double-edged sword. Yes, being able to analyze
the phones of those being prosecuted in a trial will help the
investigations and put the bad guys away, but that opens everyone else
up to cyber attacks.
Although I can see both sides of the argument, I would have to go with NOT weakening encryption. Technology is constantly evolving and the security with it must evolve as well. Taking a step backwards will only hurt and as someone stated in the article, "prohibiting companies from selling encrypted devices would not prevent criminals or terrorists from being able to access unbreakable encryption."
References:
http://www.securityweek.com/data-encryption-sharp-focus-after-deadly-attacks
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