Re: New PGP "Everything the FBI ever dreamed of"

[Tim May <tcmay@got.net>]

At 9:46 AM -0700 10/5/97, William H. Geiger III wrote:
>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
>In <v03102800b05d58dd0280@[207.167.93.63]>, on 10/05/97
>   at 08, Tim May <tcmay@got.net> said:
>
>>Let's hope PGP, Inc. comes to their senses and stops doing the work of
>>Big Brother.
>
>This is really silly Tim,
>
>The ability to encrypt using multiple keys has been a feature of PGP since
>day one. All the Business Edition is doing is automating the process.
>Despite the flawed news reports on this matter (who would have guessed)
>their is nothing covert about it. The user is both informed that this is
>being done and there is a way for the user to disable it in the client.

I never claimed it is "covert." (Nor is "Key Recovery" covert, if the
various laws are implemented. Does this make mandatory Key Recovery
acceptable?)

Nor, so far as I have read, can employees disable the "Policy" features.


>
>This has been discussed before on this list and others, and few have
>disagreed, that a company has a legitimate need to be able to access its
>encrypted data. If employees want to send love letters or whatnot then
>they should not be doing it on company time using company resources.

I repeated this point _twice_.

That employers want to read mail is not surprising, or illegal. But PGP
loses its claims to protect personal privacy if it builds in these
capabilities. This is what Phil said, too.

>Claiming that they are doing the work of Big Brother is a cheap-shot and
>uncalled for.

(Ironic coming from a frequent issuer of cheap shots.)


It is the work of Big Brother, as Garfinkel, Zimmermann, and I agree, when
it becomes a default that additional recipients are automatically copied on
encrypted mail. It may be useful to companies, but it's still dangerous.

--Tim May

The Feds have shown their hand: they want a ban on domestic cryptography
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
ComSec 3DES:   408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^2,976,221   | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."