Re: WaPo on Crypto-Genie Terrorism

[Alan Olsen <alano@teleport.com>]

At 07:21 PM 7/27/96 GMT, John Young wrote:
>   The Washington Post, July 27, 1996, p. A22. 

[Snip]
> Mr. Freeh and others argue, "the genie is not yet 
>   out of the bottle" on "robust," meaning uncrackable, 
>   encryption. 

Why does it sounds like Mr. Freeh and his friends are drinking out of a
different bottle than the rest of us?

The genie is out of the bottle and has been for a while.  The tools are
there for those who care to use them.  

Maybe it is a diffrenet genie that he is trying to portray...  Maybe it is
the acceptance and relyance on crypto that has not quite escaped into the
general populace.

If someone tried to portray all automobie drivers as dangerous maniacs and
cars as only useful for making getaways, he would be laughed out of the
room.  If someone tried to claim that phones are a haven for drug dealers,
and thus must be licenced, they would get a harsh reaction from the public.

Freeh is fighting a war against the public having a positive view of Crypto.
By smearing crypto users as "criminals and terrorists", he is using his
office to influence the opinions of "law abiding citizens" to be anti-crypto.

I beleive that there is alot that can be done to influence the public to be
pro-crypto.  With the proper memes, you can reveal the flaws in the
anti-privacy forces arguments.

Here are a few in no particular order...

Teaching computer users how to use PGP.  Offer to give instruction in use of
PGP amongst general PC and Mac users groups.

Whenever possible associate the wiretapping requests of the FBI with the
opening of mail.  Remind people of the abuses in the past.  Ask them of if
they can remember any good coming from these program.  Ask them if they mind
*you* looking through their mail and what makes the Government any better or
worse.

Local stations will usually have a "public forum discussion" program on
varioussubjects.  get on it.  Usually the program is rigged in one direction
por another, but you can get in a good meme or two that will stick in the
heads of the people watching.  (And it can be alot of fun!)

Offer to sponsor a crypto archive and discussion area on a local BBS.  Keep
it current.  Get others interested.  Spread the tools and teach people how
to use them.

Build web sites that are pro-crypto.  Where possible, get them working under
SSL.  Are there any SSL crypto sites out there?  I know of only one, and it
is not advertised.  (Or up to date.)

Work fast lest the darkness overcome us all...


Be creative.  The control freaks and authoritarians lack that creativity.
Lets use it to our advantage.
---
|"Computers are Voodoo -- You just have to know where to stick the pins."|
|"The moral PGP Diffie taught Zimmermann unites all| Disclaimer:         |
| mankind free in one-key-steganography-privacy!"  | Ignore the man      |
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|         http://www.teleport.com/~alano/          | alano@teleport.com  |