Re: Ireland: Bid To Ban "Tamper Proof" Phones

[Lucky Green <shamrock@netcom.com>]

At 02:32 PM 2/2/97 +0000, Mani wrote:
>>From today's Sunday Independent:
>
>Bid to ban "tamper proof" telephones.
>Liz Allen, Crime Correspondent
[...]
>Justice Minister Nora Owen is presiding over the conference which will agree
>on a memorandum of understanding whereby all of the 22 governments will
>agree to allow the sale of only telephones which can be intercepted.
[...]
>Among the countries which will be in attendance at the conference
>are America, Australia, Hong Kong, and Britain.

I would like to point out two items:

1. A US ban on domestic sales of secure telephony products will require an
act of Congress.

2. Insiders have known for months that the US Department of Justice is
planning to introduce crypto legislation during the current session of
Congress.

You draw your own conclusions. IMHO, we will see the USG approaching
Congress, pointing to the multilateral agreement, and ask that Congress
pass a law to implement the agreement (which, let us not forget about it,
has of course been instigated by the USG).

It just might work.


-- Lucky Green <mailto:shamrock@netcom.com> PGP encrypted mail preferred

   "I do believe that where there is a choice only between cowardice and
    violence, I would advise violence." Mahatma Gandhi