Court Debates Forced File Decryption

An anonymous reader writes "A man who has made a claim that giving up his password would constitute self-incrimination might be forced to give up his information anyway. The Washington Post reports that the US government has asked a Vermont District Court to force the issue. 'The case, believed to be the first of its kind to reach this level, raises a uniquely digital-age question about how to balance privacy and civil liberties against the government's responsibility to protect the public. The case, which involves suspected possession of child pornography, comes as more Americans turn to encryption to protect the privacy and security of files on their laptops and thumb drives. FBI and Justice Department officials, meanwhile, have said that encryption is allowing terrorists and criminals to communicate their plots covertly.'"