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IP: Janet Reno calls for a ban on Internet encryption
From: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 04:25:40 -0400
From: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com> Janet Reno's proposal would bar downloads of even current versions of Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, or PGP. It would also no longer let students and academics collaborate. For instance, an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon University yesterday released crypto-enabled IM software and is distributing it online -- and would be a criminal if Janet Reno gets her way: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~bucy/IM Even if we stipulate that Reno's objective is a worthy one, it surely makes sense to weigh the cost of regulation against its benefits (as Chicago law prof. Richard Epstein said in his testimony before a Senate subcommittee last year). In this case, it seems, the cost is real, and the benefit ephemeral. -DeclanDate: Tue, 27 Jul 1999 21:17:08 -0400 From: John Young <jya () pipeline com> Subject: US Urges Ban of Internet Crypto The Austrian journal Telepolis today published a letter from Janet Reno to the German Justice Minister urging a ban of crypto products on the Internet. We've made a translation of the report which includes Reno's letter: http://jya.com/reno-ban.htm Here's an excerpt of Reno's letter: "Much work remains to be done. In particular, I believe we must soon address the risks posed by electronic distribution of encryption software. Although the Wassenaar Nations have now reached agreement to control the distribution of mass market encryption software of certain cryptographic strength, some Wassenaar Nations continue not to control encryption software that is distributed over the Internet, either because the software is in the "public domain" or because those Nations do not control distribution of intangible items. While I recognize that this issue is controversial, unless we address this situation, use of the Internet to distribute encryption products will render Wassenaar's controls immaterial."-------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- the moderated mailing list of politics and technology To subscribe: send a message to majordomo () vorlon mit edu with this text: subscribe politech More information is at http://www.well.com/~declan/politech/ --------------------------------------------------------------------------
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- IP: Janet Reno calls for a ban on Internet encryption Dave Farber (Jul 29)