Re: EFF Analysis of Vice-President Gore's Letter on Cryptography Policy

[Jurgen Botz <jbotz@orixa.mtholyoke.edu>]

Stanton McCandlish wrote:
> EFF Analysis of Vice-President Gore's Letter on Cryptography Policy
>[...]
> Many questions remain about the future, but one thing is certain:
> Clipper is a dead end, and those of us who are concerned about
> digital privacy have won a new opportunity to shape a better policy.

The EFF appears to have decided to declare victory... they say they
have "won" the opportunity to shape a better policy.  But almost
nobody else who is on the side of privacy feels the same way.  Even
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has officially stated that:

        I have read the July 20th letter from the Vice President about
   the Administration's current thinking on Clipper Chip and, to my
   mind, it represents no change in policy.  In fact, when this letter
   was sent, I would be surprised if the Administration even thought it
   was news.

Is the EFF growing seriously out of touch that an ordinary Senator's
assesment is so obviously more realistic?
--
Jurgen Botz, jbotz@mtholyoke.edu | Communications security is too important to
Northampton, MA, USA             | be left to secret processes and classified
                                 | algorithms.  -- USACM