Re: CDT Policy Post 3.08 - Senate Committee Approves Key-RecoveryCrypto Bill

[Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>]

>Date: Thu, 19 Jun 1997 16:47:49 -0400
>To: fight-censorship@vorlon.mit.edu
>From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
>Subject: Re: CDT Policy Post 3.08 - Senate Committee Approves Key-Recovery
>Crypto Bill
>Cc:
>Bcc:
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>
>At 13:45 -0400 6/19/97, Jonah Seiger wrote:
>>
>>Senator Conrad Burns' (R-MT) effort to block the McCain-Kerrey bill was
>>defeated by a vote of 12 - 8.  The 8 Senators who voted with Burns deserve
>>a great deal of credit for standing up for the Net.
>
>Perhaps your definition of "standing up for the Net" is different from mine.
>
>The eight senators who "deserve a great deal of credit" voted for a bill
>that would have codified into law a 56-bit limit on encryption exports and
>would have sparked the development of a national key recovery
>infrastructure.
>
>Burns' ProCODE II "effort" would have permitted only the export of up to
>56-bit crypto products without key escrow. Products of any strength *with*
>key escrow could be exported freely.
>
>ProCODE II would also create an Information Security Board composed of the
>Commerce Secretary, and representatives of the NSA, CIA, FBI, and White
>House.
>
>Maybe it's just me, but I don't need my elected representatives "standing
>up" for me by passing these kinds of bills...
>
>-Declan
>
>
>