Former FBI chief takes on encryption

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Former FBI chief takes on encryption

By Declan McCullagh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
October 14, 2002, 12:39 PM PT

When Louis Freeh ran the FBI, he loved nothing more than launching
into a heartfelt rant against the dangers of encryption technology.

In dozens of hearings and public speeches, the FBI director would
urge Congress to limit encryption products, such as Web browsers and
e-mail scrambling utilities, that did not include backdoors for
government surveillance.

Freeh didn't succeed. In fact, the Clinton administration veered in
the opposite direction and eventually permitted, with few
restrictions, the overseas shipments of data-scrambling products.

But Freeh, who left the FBI in June 2001, hasn't given up. During an
appearance before the Senate Intelligence committee last week, he
warned that the political reality after the Sept. 11 terrorist
attacks means that it's time to reconsider what to do with encryption.

...

http://news.com.com/2100-1023-961969.html


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