Usually, when we see clueless government lackeys discussing the need to backdoor encryption, they at least admit upfront that they think encryption is important in protecting private information. Even that nutty rambling speech by Homeland Security Appropriations chair Rep. John Carter recognized that there were important reasons to use encryption to protect privacy. And FBI boss James Comey usually does some hand waving to that effect as well. But apparently he forgot to tell one of his deputies.

While testifying before Congress, Michael Steinbach, assistant director in the FBI‘s Counterterrorism Division, just went to the levels of pure insanity, in arguing that above all else companies should work to prevent encryption.