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[Jim Choate <ravage@ssz.com>]

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   EU stumps for encryption
   
   
   Commission urges U.S. to take 'hands
   off' approach on regulations
   
   October 8, 1997: 3:17 p.m. ET
   
   
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   Encryption fight rolls on - Sept. 15, 1997
   
   
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   BRUSSELS (Reuter) - European officials urged governments, including
   the United States, on Wednesday to take a "hands off" approach to
   regulating the technology needed to ensure that Internet transactions
   are confidential.
   [INLINE] "If regulation at all is needed, it should be very light," a
   top telecommunications commission official said, presenting a report
   on how the European Union should promote security on the Internet.
   [INLINE] EU Telecommunications Commissioner Martin Bangemann told
   reporters that strict controls would end up penalizing law-abiding
   users rather than the criminals they targeted.
   [INLINE] He added that the United States, which restricts exports of
   certain strong encryption products, was becoming isolated on the
   issue. "We must engage in a debate with the Americans at an
   international level," he told a news conference.
   [INLINE] The commission's report addressed the use of encryption and
   "digital signatures" -- electronic seals that are attached to
   transmissions to allow recipients to verify their origin and ensure
   that they have not been tampered with.
   [INLINE] It urged the EU to take a common approach to the questions,
   saying otherwise cross-border Internet trade could be hampered. It
   said it would propose legislation on "digital signatures" in the first
   half of 1998.
   [INLINE] Encryption has become a contentious issue because some
   governments and law enforcement authorities want to regulate it as a
   way to keep it out of the hands of terrorists and other criminals.
   France has virtually outlawed use of encryption software.
   [INLINE] But the commission said controls could impede the growth of a
   technology that is essential to promoting business over the Internet
   and would likely not work anyway.
   [INLINE] "It's not possible to prevent criminals from using modern
   technologies in order to protect themselves and their messages from
   the police," Bangemann said. "There's not much point in preventing
   legal users from having access to this."
   [INLINE] In addition to its export controls, the United States is
   discussing legislation that would restrict encryption technology
   domestically, for example by requiring systems that would allow law
   enforcement authorities to tap into electronic transmissions.
   [INLINE] Bangemann renewed his push for a global charter on the
   Internet that would address questions such as encryption, noting that
   the United States had already expressed interest in the idea.
   [INLINE] The Commission said EU legislation on digital signatures
   would address questions such as legal recognition of signatures,
   liability, technical requirements and certification authorities (CAs).
   [INLINE] CAs hold information that allow recipients to confirm the
   identity of the person that has sent a transmission.
   [INLINE] It said it would look askance at national restrictions on
   encryption, however. "Instead of introducing or maintaining rather
   inefficient but cumbersome restrictions, the Commission invites member
   states to enhance cooperation of police forces on a European and
   international level," it said. Link to top 
   
   
   
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