Clipper letter

[peter honeyman <honey@citi.umich.edu>]

here is the letter i sent my senators and representative, w/ a
copy to clinton and gore.  don't forget to write yours.

	peter

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					April 26, 1993

I'm writing to share my concern about the White House announcement of
April 16, 1993, which provides for wiretap ability in telecommunica-
tions networks and wireless communications links.  The particulars of
the announcement are not in and of themselves altogether alarming, but
the implication is that this is just a foot in the door:

    Q:  If the Administration were unable to find a technological
	solution like the one proposed, would the Administration be
	willing to use legal remedies to restrict access to more
	powerful encryption devices?

    A:  This is a fundamental policy question which will be considered
        during the broad policy review.

Thanks to the widespread use of software that provides for information
protection and privacy, the most common "powerful encryption device" is
the personal computer.  The suggestion that computers and software in
everyday use be declared contraband worries me.  But at a more fundamental
level, I am concerned about the right to privacy.

Privacy in the modern day means information privacy: keeping to oneself
computerized data about oneself.  Because encryption is widely regarded
by computer security experts as the only effective means of ensuring
computer privacy, the White House's "broad policy review" promises to
examine whether citizens should have the right to determine whether and
how to provide for their own privacy.

Your voice is needed in this debate.  I hope that when the question is
raised whether the government should hold exclusive rights to the
protection of individual privacy, or whether the people should hold
that right to themselves, you will stand on the side of the people.

				Sincerely yours,