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INFO: SAFE pro-encryption bill passes first Congressional hurdle (5/1/1997)
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PRO-ENCRYPTION BILL CLEARS FIRST CONGRESSIONAL HURDLE.
FACES TOUGHER TEST IN COMING WEEKS.
SAFE BILL IS ASSAILED BY CLINTON WHITE HOUSE
BECAUSE IT PROHIBITS EXPANDED EAVESDROPPING CAPABILITIES
Date: May 1, 1997 Expires June 1, 1997
URL:http://www.crypto.com/ [email protected]
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Table of Contents
What Just Happened
What YOU CAN DO NOW!
How to start or stop receiving crypto-news
Press contacts
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WHAT JUST HAPPENED
On Wednesday April 30, 1997, Congress took a historic first step towards
real reform of US encryption policy and promoting the availability of
strong privacy protections for Internet users.
The House Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual property, by a unanimous
vote, approved the Security and Freedom through Encryption (SAFE) Act (HR
695). The bill will be considered by the full House Judiciary Committee in
mid-May where it is expected to face tough opposition,
The SAFE bill, sponsored by Reps. Bob Goodlatee (R-VA) and Anna Eshoo
(D-CA) currently has 78 congressional co-sponsors, including a majority of
the House Judiciary Committee. The bill seeks to protect privacy and
promote electronic commerce by liberalizing the export of privacy-enhancing
encryption technology and prohibiting the the government from imposing
mandatory key-escrow or key-recovery systems.
The bill also contains a controversial provision which establishes new
criminal penalties for the use of encryption in the furtherance of a
felony. Privacy groups have expressed concern about this provision. During
Wednesday's subcommittee vote, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) pledged to work with
privacy groups and the bill's sponsors to address these concerns.
The Clinton Administration is unhappy with the bill, claiming it will
thwart law enforcement and undermine the administration's efforts to impose
a global "key-recovery" infrastructure. In an April 30 letter to the Courts
and Intellectual Property Subcommittee chair Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC), the
Department of Justice said:
"The bill could be read as prohibiting the United States government
from using appropriate incentives to support a key management
infrastructure and KEY RECOVERY." [emphasis added]
The Administration's "Key Recovery" program creates a backdoor in encryption
that would allow third parties to eavesdrop on individual's private
conversations without their permission or knowledge.
Because of the Administration's opposition, the SAFE bill is expected to
face a much tougher fight before the full House Judiciary Committee later
this month.
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WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
The SAFE bill (HR695) is approaching the full committee for markup. Your
help is needed in calling members of the House Judiciary committee to
urge them to pass legislation.
This is a critical issue to the future of the Internet as a secure and
trusted means of education, commerce, and political discourse, but it will
not happen without your help.
Please take a moment to Adopt Your Legislator and let them know that you
support efforts to refrom US encryption policy in a way that protects
privacy, promotes electronic commerce, and recognizes the realities of the
global Internet.
Visit http://www.crypto.com/adopt/
For more information about the bill, go to http://www.crypto.com/safe_bill/
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PRESS CONTACT INFORMATION
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