Positive uses for PGP

[Philip Zimmermann <prz@acm.org>]

To all PGP users:

We've all heard arguments raised by the law enforcement and
intelligence communities that PGP and other encryption technology can
be used by criminals to hide their activities.  This line of
reasoning is being used to justify Government key escrow systems like
Clipper, and to clamp down on encryption technology like PGP.  It
would be helpful to come up with real-world examples of how PGP has
been used for good constructive purposes.  Journalists sometimes ask
me for examples of positive uses for PGP.  But most of my fan mail
from PGP users do not tell me what they are using it for.

If you have any stories about how PGP is used for good purposes, I'd
like to see them.  Not just disaffected paranoid libertarians
embracing it for the theoretical benefits for a free society.  We
need to be able to cite examples of real people using PGP for good
ends.  Human rights activists using it are a great example.  But it
doesn't have to be in the Nobel-Prize winning catagory of human
endeavor (although that would be nice).  It could just be any
positive upbeat application that normal people can relate to in a
positive way, so I can tell reporters about it.  I'd like to hear
(actually, see some email) from real people who are actually using
PGP for good things.  

It could be for helping others, like protecting HIV patient records,
or keeping psychological counseling records.  Or conducting good
wholesome business that must remain confidential.  Or lawyers using
it to maintain confidential records and communications with their
clients.  Or, it could be for your own personal life, but for
wholesome upbeat uses, like sending love letters (you don't have to
supply any actual love letters), or keeping your diary.

For those that don't know what PGP is:  Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) is
a free software program that encrypts email using public key
cryptography, allowing you to communicate securely with people you've
never met, without the prior exchange of keys over secure channels. 
PGP has become the worldwide de facto standard for email encryption.
It's available on many Internet FTP sites and BBS systems.

Please send me some email (to prz@acm.org), with the subject line
"Positive uses for PGP", so that I can quickly sort it out from the
rest of my email.  If it's a really good story, I may want to use it,
so let me know if I can and if I can give reporters the information. 
You might not get a reply-- it depends on how much mail I get or how
busy I am when you send it.  

There is no prize for the best story, but for what it's worth, I'll
sign the public key of the person who submits the best story by
Monday, April 11th.  But keep sending stories after that date if
you've got them.

This notice can be copied and reposted on any newsgroup or mailing
list that is likely to be familiar with PGP.

Philip Zimmermann
prz@acm.org