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Encryption of emails has been weaponized to protect the powerful: regulation is needed [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-09-08

Just now I received an encrypted email message. I cannot forward it. I cannot even print it. And I had to waste time requesting a code to be sent to my email before I could receive the message.

Message encryption is making it hard for consumers to sue companies for malfeasance or misfeasance.

I am having a dispute with a company. I sent them an unencrypted email of several pages describing my complaint. They responded with an encrypted email that I cannot print out and that I cannot easily share with a lawyer. And there is no option to allow me to receive it as an unencrypted email.

This protects them from lawsuits based on email correspondence because they have effectively buried their replies to complaints.

Encrypted messages are a tool of oppression supporting corporate interests and diminishing consumer protection.

Ask your congress critters to regulate encrypted messages, requiring that every encrypted message should contain a prominently displayed option allowing the recipient to receive the message as an unencrypted email in ordinary regular email format that has no expiry date.

The encrypted email I received allows the sender to specify an expiry date…. at which point the message will disappear…. a truly rotten way of hiding the tracks.

For sure, if people want to exchange encrypted emails, this should be allowed.

But recipients should never be compelled to accept messages they cannot print or forward to third parties. If I receive an encrypted message, I should have the freedom to say “send as an unencrypted email”.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/9/8/2342399/-Encryption-of-emails-has-been-weaponized-to-protect-the-powerful-regulation-is-needed?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web

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