What is Encryption? 

In order to understand the concept of Decryption, it is essential that we firstly explain- encryption.  

When a person shares information on the internet, it passes through a series of worldwide networks, all of which constitute part of a “public internet network”. Hence, encryption becomes essential as your data travels through a public internet network, making your data more prone to breaches and other potential risks. With the help of encryption, your data gets converted into code in an unreadable format. In order to decode such data, the party would need a “digital key” similar to the one the sender has.  

The entire process of encryption has been divided into three phases-  

1. Plain Text,
2. Cypher/Encrypted Text,
3. Decipher/Decrypted Text.

The first phase- When we say “plain text”, it means that the text is in a readable format but just to the sender and the recipient. However, for a third-party, such texts are not in a readable format and are encrypted; that’s the second phase. When the recipient receives the message from the sender, it gets decrypted by using the same key, the third phase.   

The Power of Decryption 

Now that we have briefly covered what encryption is and how it functions, it will be easier to explain- Decryption. Since encryption allows only the sender and the intended recipient to view and edit the messages, nobody can consider or access such statements, not even the messaging platforms. With the help of Decryption, any user can break the encrypted messages and access them in a readable format, just as the sender and the receiving party can view such messages.   

Decryption laws enable law enforcement agencies and courts to decrypt encrypted messages or any encrypted transaction. 

The Issue 

Lately, there has been a massive rise in crimes pertaining to online fake and awful news, especially in India via WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and many other such platforms that have come into the eyes of the government and law enforcement agencies. Still, due to the encryption model that these intermediaries are based on, both the government and law enforcement agencies cannot trace or identify the actual perpetrator or originators of this fake news. Over 30 deaths were reported in 2018 due to fake news that went viral on WhatsApp. Be it fake news or spreading communal hatred and violence, social media platforms have played an essential role in these concerning events. Due to this, there has been a constant conflict between the State and these intermediaries with respect to their encryption-based model.  

As encryption now has become a barrier when it comes to the investigation during criminal proceedings or even while monitoring citizens on grounds such as national security or maintaining public order, etc. The opposing contention against encryption is that it doesn’t allow the government to keep a check; while mitigating potential threats, good surveillance is required to maintain peace in society.