IP: Sen. Burns Announces New Bill To Lift Crypto Export

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

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  The Center for Democracy and Technology  /____/     Volume 2, Number 12
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     A briefing on public policy issues affecting civil liberties online
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 CDT POLICY POST Volume 2, Number 12                       March 28, 1996


 CONTENTS: (1) Sen. Burns Announces New Bill To Lift Crypto Export
               Controls
           (2) Subscription Information
           (3) About CDT, contacting us


This document may be redistributed freely provided it remains in its entirety
       ** Excerpts may be re-posted by permission (editor () cdt org) **
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(1) SENATOR BURNS ANNOUNCES BILL TO LIFT CRYPTO EXPORT CONTROLS


The battle to roll back the Clinton Administration's encryption policy
escalated on Thursday when Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) announced that he
will introduce a new proposal to repeal restrictions on encryption exports
and to encourage the growth of electronic commerce. Senator Burns announced
the bill via a teleconference during a special session at the Computers,
Freedom, and Privacy Conference in Boston, MA.


The bill, titled the "Promoting Commerce On-Line in the Digital Age Act"
(PROCODE), joins two recent bills introduced earlier this month (S. 1587
and HR 3011) designed to encourage the development of strong, easy-to-use
privacy and security products for the Internet.


The Burns bill is different from the other proposals in several respects.
Specifically, the latest bill does not contain any new criminal provisions
or provisions imposing liability on third party key holders.


In his presentation today at CFP, Sen. Burns outlined his new bill. Among
other things, the "Promoting Commerce On-Line in the Digital Age Act"
would:


* Allow for the unrestricted export of "mass-market" or "public-domain"
  encryption programs, including such products as Pretty Good Privacy
  and popular World Wide Web software. Encryption software and hardware
  for sale in local software stores or widely available on the Internet
  would all be exportable under the proposed Act.


* Require the Secretary of Commerce to allow the unrestricted export of
  other encryption technologies if products of similar strength are
  generally available outside the United States.


* Prohibit the Federal Government from imposing mandatory key-escrow
  encryption policies on the domestic market.


* Limit the authority of the Secretary of Commerce to set standards for
  encryption products.


CDT applauds this effort by Senator Burns to put strong privacy and
security technologies in the hands of individuals and businesses. CDT is
also pleased that the Senator chose the Computers, Freedom, and Privacy
Conference as a forum to announce this proposal. The choice of CFP
demonstrates that the Internet community is becoming an increasingly
important political constituency.


CDT looks forward to working with Senator Burns and other members of
Congress interested in policies which encourage the development and
widespread use of strong privacy protecting technologies for the Global
Information Infrastructure.


FOR MORE INFORMATION


For more information on the cryptography policy debate, including the text
of Senator Burns' proposal when available, visit CDT's Cryptography Issues
Web Page:


http://www.cdt.org/crypto/


Contacts:


Center for Democracy and Technology  +1.202.637.9800
 Daniel Weitzner, Deputy Director, <djw () cdt org>
 Alan Davidson, Staff Counsel, <abd () cdt org>


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