Apple planning to use Clipper chip?

[tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May)]

A disturbing rumor/tidbit from the party I just finished discussing:

Someone from Apple Computer said that Apple has been making "input" on
the Clipper/Skipjack/Capstone/whatever thing and _endorsed_ the idea
(or at least someone representing Apple did). Apple even discussed the
pricing and said that if the Clipper/Skipjack chip could be sold to
them for less than $30, they could "design it into every Mac."

Phil Zimmermann was listening when this was said, and he was as
shocked as I was.

Can anyone on this list confirm or refute this report? (I don't want
to name the Apple guy--several were at the party--unless he wants me
to. But since he's not on the Cypherpunks list...)

The fact that Apple is reviewing the "key escrow" proposals probably
implies other hardware makers are as well. This suggests a whole
behind-the-scenes movement to get Clipper/Skipjack/Capstone key escrow
chips designed into PCs, probably in the communications/modem/network
subsections.

Speculatively, this could be a worse "fait accompli" than the Clipper
proposal for phones, since not many people are planning to buy new
secure phones, but a huge number of new Macs and PCs will be bought.

(I assume folks can "wire around" the Skipjack/Capstone subroutines in some
way, probably more easily than mods to the Clipper phones can be made.
After all, it's software. So I don't claim the Feds will automatically
be successful.)

Many of us believe the "other shoe will drop" when a new Crime Bill
(like the Biden Bill of a while back) is proposed, and key escrow is
made mandatory for data systems.


--Tim May

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