Law enforcement officials will have a harder time accessing personal data kept on smartphones with the release of the next generation of Google’s Android operating system.
Since 2011, Android has offered optional encryption, but most people didn’t know how to use the feature, reports the Washington Post. The latest generation of the operating system, which will be released next month, will have automatic encryption, meaning users won’t have to do anything to active the encryption. A password will need to be entered before anyone can access the phone’s information, including photos and videos.
Apple’s iPhone began providing similar protection last week.
The move by both Google and Apple represents a shift by tech companies that are working to protect users from government snooping.
