FBI Plots Its Next Move in the Encryption Battle

By Chris Strohm, Bloomberg News

The next frontier in the battle between the FBI and technology companies over encrypted communications will be more legally complicated -- and messy -- than trying to get into the iPhone of a dead terrorist.

Messaging tools like Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp and Internet services that automatically encrypt the content of texts, phone calls and other data while they’re being sent are increasingly becoming a problem for national security and criminal investigations, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Capturing that data while it’s in transit is essential, the agency says. Not so fast, say privacy ...