Re: Belgium has 'key escrow' law

["James M. Cobb" <jcobb@ahcbsd1.ovnet.com>]

  Leo, 
 
 
  I read with wry amusement that "...enactment of these [register 
  keys or else!] articles went almost completely unnoticed...." 
 
  Here's ANOTHER "almost completely unnoticed" item: 
 
  On 10 02 95 The Electronic Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk), in 
  a newsstory headlined "Plan to police e-mail seems [!] certain 
  to fail," reports that

   In France, it is illegal to use any kind of encryption, and 
   police can arrest the authors of any e-mail which they cannot 
   understand.
 
 
  My question:

     In Europe, is anyone working on translating plaintext 1 into 
     plaintext 2, so that the latter serves to encrypt the former? 
 
 
  Plaintext 2 will have to be good enough to satisfy the gendarm- 
  erie, which NEVER fails to notice enactment of electronic-baton 
  laws. 
 
 
  Cordially, 
  
  Jim 
 
 
 
  INCLOSURE: 
 
 
  Date: Tue, 9 Jan 1996 14:16:06 +0100
  From: Leo Van Hove <lvhove@vnet3.vub.ac.be>
  To: cypherpunks@toad.com
  Subject: Belgium has 'key escrow' law


  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.
v
  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
  _________________________________________________________________________