IP: FBI Director to Testify at Senate Crypto Hearing; Join

[Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

Partial issue djf
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   The Center for Democracy and Technology  /____/     Volume 2, Number 28
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      A briefing on public policy issues affecting civil liberties online
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 CDT POLICY POST Volume 2, Number 28                        July 21, 1996


 CONTENTS: (1) FBI Director to Testify at Senate Crypto Hearing; Netizens Can
               Participate in Hearing Live Online
           (2) How Will the Cybercast Work?
           (3) Submit Your Comments for the Hearing Record
           (4) How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe
           (5) About CDT, contacting us


  ** This document may be redistributed freely with this banner intact **
        Excerpts may be re-posted with permission of <editor () cdt org>
         ** This document looks best when viewed in COURIER font **
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(1) FBI Director to Testify at Senate Crypto Hearing; Netizens can 
    Participate in Hearing Live Online, Submit Testimony for the Record


On Thursday July 25 the Full Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing
to consider S. 1726, the 'Pro-CODE' bill designed to relax export controls
on encryption.  FBI Director Louis Freeh and other high-ranking
Administration officials are scheduled to testify. A second panel of
computer industry leaders, including Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale and others,
will also give testimony for the committee.


In an effort to ensure that concerned Internet users can participate in
this important policy debate, the Senate Commerce Committee has arranged
with CDT, VTW, HotWired, and DIGEX to bring the hearing live online.
Netizens will also be able to submit testimony for the record.  Details on
the cybercast can be found below, or by visiting:


      http://www.crypto.com/events/072596/


This full committee hearing represents another important step forward
towards passage of legislation designed to make encryption more widely
available to computer users.


Sponsored by Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Senate 
Commerce Committee Chairman Larry Pressler (R-SD), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), 
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS), Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), and 
others, the Pro-CODE bill is designed to encourage the widespread 
availability of strong privacy and security technologies for the Internet.
The bill was the subject of two hearings held on June 12 and June 26 before
the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Space, and Technology.  The 
June 26th hearing was the first Congressional hearing ever to be cybercast
live on the Internet. (Details about that cybercast can be found at 
http://www.crypto.com/events/062696/).


For more information, including the latest list of witnesses scheduled to
testify at the July 25th hearing, background on the Pro-CODE bill, and
other encryption issues, visit:


Cybercast Information:  -   http://www.crypto.com/events/072596/
                        -   http://www.hotwired.com/wiredside/


Background on the Encryption Debate:


The Encryption Policy Resource Page         - http://www.crypto.com/
The Internet Privacy Coalition              - http://www.privacy.org/ipc/
Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT)   - http://www.cdt.org/crypto/
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)        - http://www.eff.org/
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)- http://epic.org/
Voters Telecommunications Watch (VTW)       - http://www.vtw.org/
________________________________________________________________________


(2) HOW WILL THE CYBERCAST WORK?


The Cybercast has several components which combine to provide a unique
opportunity for Netizens to participate in the democratic process and to
encourage communication between Members of Congress and the Internet
Community on critical Internet policy issues:


    * Live Audio Simulcast: Using RealAudio software, the audio portion of
      the hearing will be available live online. Audio transcripts of the
      hearing will also be archived online.


    * Simultaneous Interactive Discussion Forum: During the hearing, Senate
      Commerce Committee Staff and a representative of CDT will participate 
      in an interactive "chat room" from inside the hearing room. Anyone 
      with a telnet application can join the chat room, ask questions of 
      the Senate staff, and discuss the issues with fellow Netizens. 
      Participants will also have an opportunity to provide questions to 
      the Committee Chairman to ask of the Witnesses.


    * Still Video Images: Video images from inside the hearing room will be
      uploaded to http://www.crypto.com/events/072596/ throughout the 
      course of the hearing.


HOW TO JOIN THE HEARING LIVE ONLINE


     On Thursday July 25 at 9:30am EDT (6:30am PDT/1330 GMT), point your
     web browser to:


          http://www.crypto.com/events/072596/


     The Audio URL will be posted here, along with live pictures from the
     Hearing and a link to the online discussion forum.


     Additional information is also available at:
          http://www.hotwired.com/wiredside/


     WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO PARTICIPATE:


      * RealAudio (available free at http://www.realaudio.com/)
      * Membership at HotWired (Membership is free. Visit
         http://www.hotwired.com/ for details.)
      * A World Wide Web Browser
      * A Telnet Application