FC: Dutch government moves to limit encryption, citing terrorists

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

Some background:

"Dutch government: All your bits are belong to us!"
http://www.politechbot.com/p-02073.html

"Dutch intelligence will scan satellite communications, break crypto"
http://www.politechbot.com/p-01078.html

The "action plan to combat terrorism":
http://www.minjust.nl/c_actual/persber/actieplan.pdf

*********

http://www.heise.de/tp/english/inhalt/te/9763/1.html

   Dutch Government wants to regulate strong cryptography
   Jelle van Buuren   09.10.2001

   Action plan to combat terrorism targets modern communication
   technologies

   The Dutch Government announced Friday it wants to regulate the public
   use of strong cryptography. The regulation of cryptography is one of
   the measures the government is proposing in its [External Link]
   action plan to combat terrorism.

   Dutch Government is launching a range of proposals connected with
   modern communication technologies. 'The new terrorism makes intensive
   use of modern technology,' the government claims. 'Police and
   Intelligence has to give more attention on the use of modern
   technologies to prevent and fight terrorism.' One of the measures aims
   at the 'regulation of strong cryptography for public use.' How the
   government is seeking this 'regulation' is not clear. 'This will
   become clear in the coming month,' a spokesman told. 'We have to find
   some way to give intelligence services access to encrypted
   communication.'

   In the early nineties, Dutch government tried to restrict the use of
   cryptography. A preliminary draft of a bill aiming to ban the use of
   encryption was introduced in March 1994. Anyone who could show that
   they had a legitimate reason to use cryptography was allowed to apply
   for a license. Concealed within the text was a clause making it
   compulsory to hand over the key to the authorities.

   [....]




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