Policy Post 3.03 - House Subcommittee Approves Internet Privacy Bill

[Alan Davidson <abd@cdt.org>]

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   The Center for Democracy and Technology  /____/      Volume 3, Number 3
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      A briefing on public policy issues affecting civil liberties online
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 CDT POLICY POST Volume 3, Number 1                       April 30, 1997

 CONTENTS: (1) House Subcommittee Approves SAFE Internet-privacy bill
           (3) How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe
           (4) About CDT, contacting us

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HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVES SAFE INTERNET-PRIVACY BILL

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual property today
approved the Security And Freedom through Encryption (SAFE) act (HR 695),
sending the SAFE bill to the full House Judiciary Committee.

The SAFE bill was passed by the Subcommittee without amendment and with
unanimous approval.  A House Judiciary Committee vote on SAFE is expected
later this month.

Today's vote marks a critical step forward in the ongoing fight to reform
US encryption policy, and sends a strong signal to the Clinton
Administration that Congress is serious about passing real encryption
reform legislation.

SAFE, and its companion bills in the Senate (Pro-CODE and ECPA II) are
vitally represent the best chance yet of reforming US encryption policy in
a way that protects privacy, promotes electronic commerce, and recognize
the realities of the global economy.

The full text of the SAFE bill, along with analysis and background
information, is available online at http://www.cdt.org/crypto or
http://www.crypto.com/

The Administration's allies did not introduce amendments to SAFE at the
subcommittee markup today, though a tougher fight is expected when the bill
reaches the full Judiciary Committee later this month. Rep. Bill McCullom
(R-FL), voted in favor of the SAFE but expressed concern that the bill does
not contain key-recovery provisions.  McCullom, a high ranking member of
the Judiciary Committee, said he hopes to address these concerns when the
bill reaches the full committee.

Also at the markup, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), an original co-sponsor of
SAFE, noted that several privacy organizations, including CDT, have raised
concerns about a provision of the bill which criminalizes the use of
encryption in furtherance of a crime.  Rep. Lofgren pledged to work with
the privacy community to try and address these concerns as the bill moves
through committee.

CDT congratulates the subcommittee on today's vote and looks forward to
working with the Congress, our colleagues in the civil liberties and
Internet advocacy community, and the computer and communications industries
to pass real reform of US encryption policy this year.

For more information on what you can do to join the fight, please visit
http://www.crypto.com/adopt.

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(3) ABOUT THE CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY/CONTACTING US

The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit public interest
organization based in Washington, DC. The Center's mission is to develop
and advocate public policies that advance democratic values and
constitutional civil liberties in new computer and communications
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End Policy Post 3.03                                           04/30/97
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