Amazon has criticised Australia’s anti-encryption laws for forcing technology companies to weaken their security, suggesting that protections against systemic weaknesses or vulnerabilities are “technically flawed”.
The e-commerce and cloud computing giant has also warned a lack of balance between the needs of law enforcement and national security agencies and consumers could “reduce consumer trust in technology”.
In its submission [pdf] to the latest review of the Assistance and Access Act (AA Act), Amazon broadsides so-called protections afforded in the law to prohibit the creation of systemic weaknesses or vulnerabilities.
“The Act has provided new powers for law enforcement and security agencies that could be used to order technology providers to create or install new ways to access secure systems and data,” Amazon said.
“Each of these ways of access would constitute a security vulnerability.”
“The underlying assumption of the Act, that a security vulnerability can be created for a targeted technology without creating a systematic weakness or vulnerability, is technically flawed.
“Data cannot be made more secure by introducing any security into a technology system.”
The company said that despite legislation explicitly banning agencies the introduction of systemic weakness or vulnerabilities “into a form of electronic protection”, the definition meant agencies could still require providers to create vulnerabilities elsewhere.
“A technology provider can be required to install or maintain any software or equipment, or to implement or build systemic weaknesses or vulnerabilities into any other component of a network, system, product or service,” Amazon said.
Home Affairs insists that if any industry assistance power genuinely does create either a systemic weakness or vulnerability in a device or network, providers “will not be required to meet those obligations”.
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