Belgium has 'key escrow' law

[lvhove@vnet3.vub.ac.be (Leo Van Hove)]

Surprise, surprise.  Today's issue of 'De Standaard', Flanders' most
respected newspaper, reports that - much to everybody's amazement - Belgium
has a key escrow law in working order - or almost...

The newspaper states that certain articles of a much 'broader' law that was
passed on the 21th of December 1994, if enforced - which to date has _not_
been the case, would imply that encryption of computer messages is illegal
unless the private key is registered with the BIPT (the Belgian Institute
for Postal services and Telecommunication; a government administration that
regulates the telecom sector).

At the time of enactment these articles went almost completely unnoticed -
hence the amazement.  As mentioned, said articles are not enforced yet but
it now appears that a working group, called Belinfosec (Belgium Information
& Security), led by a colonel of the military intelligence services - no
less, is preparing a report which would contain further specifications and
would propose enacting clauses.

Note that at present there is already legislation up and working that
enables Belgian law enforcement to tap telephone lines 'in specific
circumstances' (i.e., suspicion of criminal or terroristic activities).
Judging by the newspaper article it will not be long before this will
include computer messages.

Asked for a reaction, officials from the banking sector reacted with both
disbelief and outrage.  The article quotes the head of security at Banksys
(the interbank consortium that operates Belgium's nation-wide
ATM/POS-network) who considers it to be "unacceptable" and "an intrusion on
privacy" if government authorities  were to be able to monitor all the
money flows that pass through the Banksys network.  He also fears that once
revealed to the authorities, the keys might fall into the wrong hands, thus
jeopardizing the system's security.

I'll try to find out more and keep you informed.

Ciao,

leo

P.S. I'm not on the cpx mailing list, so please Cc me.


_________________________________________________________________________
Leo Van Hove

Centre for Financial Economics
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Free University of Brussels)
Pleinlaan 2
B-1050 Brussels
Vox: +32 2 629.21.25
Fax: +32 2 629.22.82
e-mail: lvhove@vnet3.vub.ac.be

VUB's Web site: http://www.vub.ac.be
_________________________________________________________________________