Re: Optimism re NRC Cryptography Report

["Joseph M. Reagle Jr." <reagle@MIT.EDU>]

At 07:40 AM 5/31/96 -0700, Timothy C. May wrote:
>This should be enough to ensure our victory. (Not that I think that even
>fairly repressive legislation would've been enough to defeat us, but a new
>breathing spell can only help.)

        Actually, I felt this upon reading the general recommendations, but
then in reading the expansion of the recommendations, I could see a lot
there for the continuance of the "status-quo" type of attitude. After
talking about it with other people, my feeling is that the document might be
all things to all people...? Pro-crypto will be happy with it and point to
this para and that, "anti"-crypto (law enforcement type) could also be happy
with it and point to that para and the other. The question then is, how will
it be read/perceived by its audience (which I suspect is legislators.) Given
the way the press is reporting, it is being received as a pro-crypto report,
congress might pick up on it. Unfortunately, it might pick up on it with
respect to publicity and posturing, and a fair amount of "the briefing" back
door stuff will continue.

        Can't say though.
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Joseph  Reagle      http://farnsworth.mit.edu/~reagle/home.html
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