https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/13/feds-say-they-used-encrypted-messages-to-charge-oath-keepers-leader.html Skip Navigation logo * watchlive logo Markets * Pre-Markets * U.S. Markets * Currencies * Cryptocurrency * Futures & Commodities * Bonds * Funds & ETFs Business * Economy * Finance * Health & Science * Media * Real Estate * Energy * Climate * Transportation * Industrials * Retail * Wealth * Life * Small Business Investing * Invest In You * Personal Finance * Fintech * Financial Advisors * Trading Nation * Options Action * ETF Street * Buffett Archive * Earnings * Trader Talk Tech * Cybersecurity * Enterprise * Internet * Media * Mobile * Social Media * CNBC Disruptor 50 * Tech Guide Politics * White House * Policy * Defense * Congress * Equity and Opportunity CNBC TV * Live TV * Live Audio * Business Day Shows * The News with Shepard Smith * Entertainment Shows * Full Episodes * Latest Video * Top Video * CEO Interviews * CNBC Documentaries * CNBC Podcasts * CNBC World * Digital Originals * Live TV Schedule Watchlist Cramer PRO * Pro News * Pro Live * Subscribe * Sign In Menu * Make It * USA * INTL * watchlive Search quotes, news & videos SIGN IN logo Markets Business Investing Tech Politics CNBC TV Watchlist Cramer PRO Menu Tech Federal investigators say they used encrypted Signal messages to charge Oath Keepers leader Published Thu, Jan 13 20223:19 PM EST Lauren Feiner@lauren_feiner WATCH LIVE Key Points * Federal investigators claimed to access encrypted Signal messages used to help charge the leader of the Oath Keepers, an extremist far-right militia group, and other defendants in a seditious plot on Jan. 6, 2021. * Encryption prevents anyone who isn't participating in a conversation or channel from reading its contents -- including the hosting platform itself. * It's not clear how investigators gained access to the messages, but encryption has been a point of tension between law enforcement and the tech industry for years. The Signal Messenger app is displayed on a smartphone in Hong Kong, China. Roy Liu | Bloomberg | Getty Images Federal investigators say they accessed encrypted Signal messages sent in the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot on the U.S. Capitol, and used them as evidence to charge the leader of the Oath Keepers, an extremist far-right militia group, and other defendants in a seditious plot. In a new legal complaint made public on Thursday, The Department of Justice alleges the defendants conspired to forcefully oppose the transfer of power between then-President Donald Trump to Joe Biden, including by trying to take control of the U.S. Capitol. The complaint references numerous messages sent on Signal, an end-to-end encrypted messaging app, raising questions about how authorities accessed them and recalling a long-standing point of tension between the law enforcement community and tech industry. Encryption scrambles messages so that nobody can read them except the intended recipients -- including the platform hosting the messages. It's not clear how investigators gained access to the messages. Representatives for Signal, the Department of Justice, and Federal Bureau of Investigation did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment. One possibility is that another recipient with access to the messages handed them over to investigators. The complaint references group messages run on the app, so it's possible another participant in those chats cooperated. Encryption has been a point of controversy between investigators and tech companies for years. While law enforcement worries that criminals will exploit encrypted technology to hide wrongdoing, tech companies like Apple have argued that it's an important tool for privacy. Law enforcers have in the past tried to get tech companies to open their devices to assist in investigating serious crimes, but companies like Apple argue that if they break encryption for U.S. investigators, it will jeopardize the entire system and potentially leave room for foreign adversaries to exploit weaknesses. The issue gained particular prominence in 2015, when Apple refused to break the encryption of a suspect's iPhone in the wake of a mass shooting in San Bernadino, Calif. After a tense stand-off, investigators were eventually able to break the encryption themselves anyway. But some law enforcers have said newer security features on iPhone software now makes it harder for them to technically access those devices, even if they are able to obtain a warrant. The issue came up again under the Trump administration, including when Meta, then known as Facebook, announced plans to stitch together all of its messaging services and encrypt them from end-to-end. Law enforcers said the plans would hamper their ability to clamp down on child sexual abuse material on the platform. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. WATCH: Why the U.S. government is questioning your online privacy VIDEO15:2915:29 Why the U.S. government is questioning your online privacy Tech logoTV WATCH LIVElogoWATCH IN THE APP UP NEXT | ETListen logoTV WATCH LIVElogoWATCH IN THE APP UP NEXT | ETListen logo * Subscribe to CNBC PRO * Licensing & Reprints * CNBC Councils * Supply Chain Values * CNBC on Peacock * Advertise With Us * Join the CNBC Panel * Digital Products * News Releases * Closed Captioning * Corrections * About CNBC * Internships * Site Map * Podcasts * Ad Choices * Careers * Help * Contact * * * * * * * News Tips Got a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you. Get In Touch CNBC Newsletters Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox Sign Up Now Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. 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