I believe there is an urgent need to simplify the encryption debate so it can reach the general public. The matter is difficult, involves complicated terms and invisible technologies. At the same time, it allows daily activities, offers tools to protect or violate the rights of many people, and public opinion in Brazil practically does not address it. For example, I would venture to say that everyone in Brazil has heard of backdoor, but almost no one really understands this English word, or would be able to think deeply about what it means in the context of digital data security.

Searching for the right word in the mute realm of experts

A little over a month ago I started my work as a fellow researcher at IRIS. I am delighted with the opportunity to carry out quality academic activities, always in partnership with such an amazing group of people, whether adding experience when dealing with other topics, or keeping the focus on the topic of my future doctoral thesis, on encryption and human rights. It is still not enough time to write an entire personal report about the research, but a first aspect deserves to be shared: the difficulty of translating the word “backdoor” into Brazilian Portuguese.

Harder or more sophisticated critical texts; simple explanations; detailed clarifications; news in dedicated vehicles and in major newspapers; safety lessons, tips, factsheets and glossaries; even a video lesson: all of them use the original English word and therefore, it seems to me, all of them communicate poorly. Like a winter sun, which neither warms nor illuminates, they speak but say nothing to those who were not previously aware of what they are about. And anyone who understands notice such a diverse range of concepts, that they even seem to define different things.

By the way, my idea was not exactly to address the very meaning of the term. But from Jonathan Zdziarski’s carefully crafted technical conceptualization, I may define a backdoor as a borderline security component that “is active on a computer system without the consent of the computer’s owner, performs functions that subvert the purposes disclosed to the owner of the computer and is under the control of an undisclosed actor“.

What the common public thinks and feels

The most obvious translation for backdoor into Portuguese would be “porta dos fundos” (close to the english word “tailgate”), but the language has the meaning that circulates through society. It makes no sense to want to communicate and ignore not only the sexual double meaning of the term, but the existence of the famous homonymous comedy group (whose name obviously relies on the underlying double meaning).

For example, I have a friend who is a feminist lawyer, a doctoral student in the USA, absolutely successful and has a very important job, who can’t take anything seriously about the subject of “digital inclusion”. Both for those who do not know and for those who are inside information security debates, it is difficult to prevent the outbreak of the typical “fifth grade” mentality when we use words that refer to genital or eschatological meanings. We can pretend to be used to it, but the uncontrollable chuckle in the corner of the mouth doesn’t help, especially, again, when the topic is complex and arid.

Closed objects and decision making subjects

The usual tradition in Brazil has been to keep the English jargon, which objectively sets a tone of technical terminology. Such seriousness comes at the cost of discussions closeness. And I don’t just mean for an illiterate audience. The word backdoor hinders everyone’s interpretation and better understanding: from journalists reporting legislative proposals to the reading public, including advisors writing normative texts and the respective elected representatives. This type of opacity is what makes room for the growth of a digital populism, which pretends to fight, for example, disinformation, but whose anti-democratic bias only generates offenses to the Democratic State of Law.

In turn, porta clandestina waits to be written, in dictionary state. The “clandestine” mark brings a definitive and concentrated provocation against the legitimacy of this type of technological solution. People who communicate in a protected system are unaware of the existence of backdoors, which therefore must be deciphered in Portuguese as unknown, stealthy, hidden entrances, which make the privacy and security that could be expected in that environment vulnerable. The term exposes the paradox that a form of insecurity will be proposed as a legal mechanism of public security to be used by the public power itself.

The idea of ​​a democratic discussion on encryption regulation rules imposing the adoption of patches and improvisations depends on a clear language, accessible to everyone interested in knowing more and actively participating. Fewer voices will be heard and less participation will be promoted each time someone in Brazil uses “end-to-end”, “hash”, “CSAM”, “VPN”, or “backdoor”, instead of opting for the respective correlates ponta a ponta, verificador, material de abuso sexual de crianças, rede privada virtual or, as I am proposing, porta clandestina. Giving up foreignness is a choice, with advantages and disadvantages. And taking the next step, meditating on the best word, is a form of care with the social construction of meanings, or ultimately, a commitment to communicational solidarity.

Exchanging keys to open the doors

When one comes closer to contemplating the thousand secret faces of words, it becomes evident that neutrality is only superficial. And for the social debate to be neither poor nor terrible, it is enough that we share our keys. If you are also writing a news story, an opinion piece, a research report, or a term paper, I suggest employing the translation “clandestine door”, rather than just using the English word backdoor, or the literal translation ” back door”.

I believe that the term porta clandestina perfectly translates into Portuguese the meaning of “backdoor” in the context of digital security. I am convinced that translating backdoor as “clandestine door” can allow more and more people to understand the full weight of what is at stake whenever such a strategy may again come to be proposed by law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the digital data security debate.

The views and opinions expressed in this blogpost are those of the author. 
Illustration by Freepik Stories.