Google had previously declared that the new Android Lollipop OS would be employing default encryption. Making the encryption process in default would mean that the device would be automatically start encrypting. However not all devices supported by Lollipop can handle the encryption process. Some devices might function slower or lag time might increase. With this premise, Google had made an announcement through engadget:
"In September, we announced that all new Android Lollipop devices would be encrypted by default. Due to performance issues on some Android partner devices we are not yet at encryption by default on every new Lollipop device. That said, our new Nexus devices are encrypted by default and Android uses (Jelly Bean and above) have the option to encrypt the data on their devices in Settings à Security à Encryption. We remain firmly committed to encryption because it helps keep users safe and secure on the web."
Some users might question on the importance of encryption and why it keeps on making a fuss. To answer this question, Encryption, according to techtarget, is "the conversion of electronic data into another form called ciphertext which cannot be easily understood by anyone except authorized parties." Sound like a mouthful, right? But encryption is actually very useful to smart phones since it protects the confidentiality and privacy of the digital data which is stored in computers and other devices. It provides the user protection when it comes to managing their information. This would prevent the reproduction and unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted materials. Aside from protecting the privacy of data, Encryption also protects the authentication (message origin is verified), Integrity (message is ensured to be unaltered even after it was sent), and Non-repudiation(the user is given access to send the message)
With this features, encryption is considered a necessity that Google aims to be made available to all their users.
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