Obama Supports U.K.'s David Cameron on Push for Cyber Backdoors

President Barack Obama said he supports U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron’s push for information and communications technology (ICT) companies to continue allowing government tracking of suspects and potential terrorists via their technology. “Social media and the Internet is the primary way in which these terrorist organizations are communicating,” Obama said during a news conference Friday. “When we have the ability to track that in a way that is legal … and presents oversight, then that’s a capability that we have to preserve.” Cameron and FBI Director James Comey have raised concerns about attempts by Apple, Google and other companies to encrypt customers’ data in a way that governments can’t access. Cameron pushed back Friday against claims that he’s seeking backdoors into companies’ technology, saying, “we’re asking for very clear front doors through legal processes to help keep our country safe.” Cameron and Obama agreed in bilateral meetings last week to strengthen existing cybersecurity cooperation between the U.K. and U.S. governments. The countries plan joint cybersecurity exercises targeted at testing specific industries’ defenses, with the first to focus on the financial sector, the White House said. The countries also will work to align existing cybersecurity best practices in the National Institute of Standards and Technology-led Cybersecurity Framework and the U.K.'s Cyber Essentials scheme, the White House said.