Try the political quiz
@ISIDEWITHQuestionsNational securityStarted 2yrs agoActive 19hrs ago

Should the government require tech companies to provide backdoor access to encrypted communications for national security purposes?

Backdoor access means that tech companies would create a way for government authorities to bypass encryption, allowing them to access private communications for surveillance and investigation. Proponents argue that it helps law enforcement and intelligence agencies prevent terrorism and criminal activities by providing necessary access to information. Opponents argue that it compromises user privacy, weakens overall security, and could be exploited by malicious actors.

+
Expand
+ Settings

Toggle voterbase

Statistics are shown for this demographic

Answer Overview

Response rates from 45.2k Australia voters.

46%
Yes
54%
No

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 45.2k Australia voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 45.2k Australia voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from Australia voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @9ZZ7YJ3answered…2yrs2Y

No, any backdoor that exists for national security purposes also exists for anyone else clever enough to find it. There is no such thing as a backdoor that only specific people can use.

 @BB5SQR2answered…4mos4MO

Yes, but only allow access with court orders and subject to strict restrictions, and only for significant criminal investigations, national security and similarly high importance circumstances.

 @B5B7FR4answered…1yr1Y

This is a difficult one to answer. Privacy should be taken into consideration and it should be a case by case basis

 @BF27N4Xanswered…3 days3D

Yes, but the government needs to announce why they are looking into that company

 @BDYGYLManswered…1wk1W

Yes, but hackers could still get in, right?

 @BDXRXJLanswered…1wk1W

The companies need to be monitored. The government doesn’t have the capacity to do so.

 @BDX5GPYanswered…2wks2W

Depends on the reasons

 @BDWMQ32answered…2wks2W

That is, if it is not corrupt and used for purposes irrelevant to national security purposes.

Popular Conversations

Join in on the most popular conversations.

Active 2wks ago

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…2yrs2Y

Do you support the government calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza?

Yes

▲  1.4k6 replies5 disagree

About This Data

Based on 45.2k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

Read Our Full Methodology →

Cite Or Embed This Poll

Writing about this issue? Use the live data and link back to the full results.

Cite This Poll

iSideWith. (2026). “Should the government require tech companies to provide backdoor access to encrypted communications for national security purposes?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 17, 2026, from https://australia.isidewith.com/poll/5139231646

Embed The Live Result

Preview