Euro-Clipper

[Ian Goldberg <iang@cory.EECS.Berkeley.EDU>]

I don't think I've seen this here (but it was on a bunch of security
newsgoups...)

   - Ian

Forwarded message:
> 
> According to an article in `Communications Week International', the
> 34-nation Council of Europe has agreed to outlaw strong encryption
> products which do not make keys available to governments.
> 
> The article, `Euro-Clipper chip scheme proposed', is on the front page
> of the magazine's issue 151, dated 18th September, which arrived in my
> mail this morning.
> 
> It relates that the policy was approved on the 8th September at
> Strasbourg by the Council, and coincides with an attempt by the
> European Commission to propose a pan-European encryption standard. The
> Council - unlike the Commission - has no statutory powers to enforce
> its recommendations. However, Peter Csonka, the chairman of the
> committee that drafted the document (and an administrative officer at
> the Council's division of crime problems) says that `it is rare for
> countries to reject Council of Europe recommendations'.
> 
> The proposal would make telecomms operators responsible for decrypting
> traffic and supplying it to governments when asked.  It would also
> `change national laws to enable judicial authorities to chase hackers
> across borders'.
> 
> Opposition to this measure was expressed by Mike Strezbek, VP
> responsible for European telecomms at JP Morgan, who said that his
> organisation `will challenge any attempt to limit the power of our
> network encryption technologies very strongly'.
> 
> Czonka said that the Council had given consideration to business
> interests but had tries to strike a balance between privacy and
> justice. However, `it remains possible that cryptography is available
> to the public which cannot be deciphered,' his document says. `This
> might lead to the conclusion to put restrictions on the possession,
> distribution, or use of cryptography.'
> 
> Apparently another international organisation, the OECD, has called a
> conference of its members in December to devise a strategy on
> encryption.
> 
> I for one will be making clear to my MP that his stand on this issue
> will determine how I cast my ballot at the next election. I note that
> John Major stated in a 1994 parliamentary written reply to David Shaw
> MP that the government did not intend to legislate on data encryption.
> I am disppointed that government policy has changed to the point of
> supporting the Council of Europe, and that this change has sneaked 
> through during the parliamentary recess.
> 
> Ross Anderson
> 
> 
> 
>