Android L to get default encryption – report

Published September 20, 2014 8:02pm

After Apple's iPhone 6 and iOS 8, Google will soon enable encryption by default on devices running Android L, the upcoming latest version of its operating system for mobile devices.

The Washington Post reported Android L is to encrypt data by default, though the option to do so has been there in earlier releases.

It quoted Google spokeswoman Niki Christoff as saying encryption in the next Android release "will be enabled by default out of the box, so you won't even have to think about turning it on.”

“For over three years Android has offered encryption, and keys are not stored off of the device, so they cannot be shared with law enforcement,” she said.

But the report also said it could take months at least before most Android devices are encrypted by default.

Also, while the feature will mean more privacy for users, it will make it harder for law enforcers to gain access to personal data kept on smartphones.

Google's Android is the world’s most popular operating system for mobile devices including smartphones.

Google's move came as Apple implemented a similar encryption-by-default system for its iPhone.

The Washington Post said the latest move by Google aims to resist government snooping following the revelations of National Security Agency spying by former contractor Edward Snowden.

Automatic encryption has gained praise from privacy advocates, the report said.

"It's so awesome, as someone who has worked on these issues for a long time, to see these two companies switch their defaults to where these things will be strongly encrypted, and rightly so," it quoted Joseph Lorenzo Hall, chief technologist for the Center for Democracy & Technology.

The Washington-based non-profit group receives substantial industry support as saying. — Joel Locsin/VC, GMA News

Tags: androidl, android, smartphone, technology