Re: CDT Policy Post 2.27 - No New News on Crypto: Gore Restates

[Arun Mehta <amehta@giasdl01.vsnl.net.in>]

At 10:17 14/07/96 -0700, David Sternlight wrote:
>At 7:05 AM -0700 7/13/96, Deranged Mutant wrote:
>>On 12 Jul 96 at 18:23, Bob Palacios posted:
>>> *  Called for the liberalization of export controls provided computer
>>>    users participate in a "global key management infrastructure"
>>>    designed to make personal encryption keys accessible to law
>>>    enforcement.
>>
>>This is particularly problematic...

>Your best shot would be to make sure the part about the system being
>voluntary was hard-wired into any legislation or rule-making. Unless and
>until ITAR is modified by Congress, the USG has what Mark Twain called "the
>calm confidence of a Christian with four aces" on this matter.

International agreement on this issue won't happen this century.
People don't understand the problem (or why it needs regulation),
are suspicious of the US and its motives -- in any case
international negotiations take forever. As for the "concession"
regarding liberalisation of export controls of crypto -- big
deal. The stuff is available anyway outside the US, so the only
people helped are US industry -- why should the rest of the world care? 

Without international agreement, the whole key escrow idea
doesn't have a leg to stand on, and I doubt US industry will be
willing to wait that long before  they can use strong crypto in
their international products.

Arun Mehta Phone +91-11-6841172, 6849103 amehta@cpsr.org
check out my new page at http://www.cerfnet.com/~amehta/  
The protestors of Tiananmen Square will be back. Next time, 
the battle will be fought in cyberspace, where the students 
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