With regards to the point "maybe there is a real societal problem that needs to be addressed here"; the problem that I have with that possibility is that if the only evidence of any supposed crime that has occurred exists purely as bits on a digital storage device, it's hard to claim that crime was worthy of any sort of prosecution to begin with. Look at the guy that ended up prosecuted in the UK under RIPA part III, nobody believes he was actually any kind of criminal or threat, and yet they wanted to make a sacrificial lamb out of him just to emphasize how serious they were about having this power available to them.
Sure, it may be easier for the government to attack the digital storage device to find the terrorist's journal or plans or whatever, but that doesn't mean it's the only way to do it. If someone has been making bombs, there is plenty of evidence outside a document on an encrypted volume, etc etc etc. The entire idea that a crime can exist purely in information is a step too close to thought crime and all the problems that entails for my tastes.
If a crime supposedly exists, investigate the entire crime, not just some theoretical digital footprint on a supposedly inaccessible storage device. Don't try to backdoor negate the right to private information of the citizenry purely because you're too lazy and inept to do so.
if the only evidence of any supposed crime that has occurred exists purely as bits on a digital storage device, it's hard to claim that crime was worthy of any sort of prosecution to begin with.
What, really? How about when it's a photo on a digital device?
Yes, yes, they're fakable. But other evidence may not exist, or may not be findable without the knowledge embodied in that photo.
Sure, it may be easier for the government to attack the digital storage device to find the terrorist's journal or plans or whatever, but that doesn't mean it's the only way to do it. If someone has been making bombs, there is plenty of evidence outside a document on an encrypted volume, etc etc etc. The entire idea that a crime can exist purely in information is a step too close to thought crime and all the problems that entails for my tastes.
If a crime supposedly exists, investigate the entire crime, not just some theoretical digital footprint on a supposedly inaccessible storage device. Don't try to backdoor negate the right to private information of the citizenry purely because you're too lazy and inept to do so.