Re: CDT Policy Post 2.19 - 27 Reps Urge President to Abandon Key-Escrow Encryption Policy

[jim bell <jimbell@pacifier.com>]

At 03:35 PM 5/17/96 -0400, Bob Palacios wrote:

> CDT POLICY POST Volume 2, Number 19                           May 17, 1996
>

>The bi-partisan call to President Clinton to abandon the Administration's
>key escrow policy is yet another encouraging sign of increasingly strong
>Congressional support for reform of US encryption policy.  Congress is
>currently considering several bills designed to encourage the widespread
>availability privacy-protecting technologies for the Internet by lifting
>export controls on strong encryption:
>
>* HR 3011, the "Security and Freedom Through Encryption (SAFE) Act of
>  1996", sponsored by over 30 members including  Reps Goodlatte (R-VA),
>  Campbell (R-CA), Eshoo (D-CA), Boucher (D-VA).
>
>* S. 1726, the "Promotion of Commerce On-Line in the Digital Era (Pro-
>  CODE) act of 1996, sponsored by Senators Burns (R-MT), Leahy (D-VT),
>  Pressler (R-SD), Dole (R-KS), Wyden (D-OR), and Murray (D-WA)
>
>* S. 1587, the "Encrypted Communications Privacy Act of 1996", also
>  sponsored by Senators Burns and Leahy.
>
>Hearings on HR 3011 (Rep Goodlatte's bill) and the Burns/Leahy S. 1726
>(Pro-CODE) are expected in June.

You know, I really would appriciate it if CDT didn't present S1587 as if it 
is just another "relax restrictions on encryption" bill.  We raked that bill 
over the coals, found it seriously flawed, and generally pro-encryption 
people don't seem to be defending it at all. It contained many aspects which 
have the prospect of future danger to the use of encryption.

 And, S. 1726 seems to contain most of the desireable aspects of S.1587, and 
few of the negatives.  Add to that the fact that Leahy (as described above) 
seems to be supporting S. 1726, there is no need to make it appear to an 
uninformed person that S. 1587 that it is anything other than a mistake.


Jim Bell
jimbell@pacifier.com