Encryption Legalities
In The News
(things don't change much...)
7/7/2000 http://www.internetnews.com/:
Lawsuit Accuses Netscape of Evesdropping
[July 7] New accusations about "spyware" were leveled
Friday -- this time Netscape Communications finds itself
at the center of the controversy. ... (which notes)
"Recently, RealNetworks (NASDAQ:RNWK) faced
similar criticism although not a lawsuit for a utility
called Download Demon. ...
Is Big Brother Teaming With Microsoft?
Dateline 9/7/99 from Jim Williams - About.com Guide"
"...In a press release, Andrew Fernandes, the scientist who found
the back door, states that this back door affects Windows 95,
98, NT and Windows 2000. According to the press release
there are actually two "keys". One is used by Microsoft to
implement the cryptographic services, the other is to be used
by the NSA. with this key the government could decrypt
anything that you thought was secured by your operating
system, and without your knowledge. Because of this alleged
back door, your 128 bit encryption that is built into Windows
NT 4.0 is negated. This hole would allow direct changes to
the operating system by anyone who has access to that key. It
also follows that any secure communications through your
Internet Explorer browser is also compromised.
Microsoft strongly denies the allegations and states that "We
don't share the keys with any public agencies." By making
that statement however, Microsoft admits that a second key
does in fact exist. This begs the question, why is there a
second key? This also forces me to ask why the second key is
named NSAKEY? ..."
From EPIC Alert newsletter Sept. 9, 1999
Newly discovered documents reveal the prominent financial and
supervisory role of the U.S. Secret Service in the Image Data pilot
programs. EPIC recently obtained these documents through Freedom of
Information Act requests.
Image Data LLC seeks to establish a national database of photographs
and personal information - including social security numbers to
prevent credit card and check fraud. The system proposed by Image
Data, TrueID, would allow for instantaneous identification checks at
the point of purchase by displaying photographs of the customer. ...
...new {via FOIA} documents reveal the extent to which the U.S. Secret Service
is involved in Image Data's pilot programs.
...Also included in these initial proposals are timelines for monthly
reports and meetings with the U.S. Secret Service in Washington, D.C.
...Some of the FOIA documents obtained by EPIC are at:
http://www.epic.org/privacy/imagedata/image_data_scan.html
from 'EPIC ALERT' Newsletter: Volume 6.14 September 9, 1999
From EPIC 4/22/98:
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) on April 14 introduced the Promote Reliable
On-Line Transactions to Encourage Commerce and Trade (PROTECT) Act of
1999 (S.798), which is designed to promote international electronic
commerce and limit the power of the federal government to mandate
encryption requirements for the domestic market. The bill prohibits
mandatory access to encryption keys or key recovery information by the
United States government or the government of any state. The bill
would also permit the export of unlimited strength encryption to
members of NATO, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN). Exports to other nations would limited to strengths of
64-bits.
...The introduction of the legislation is also significant because it
appears to signal a change in Sen. McCain's position on the encryption
issue. As Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. McCain has
in the past opposed any liberalization of existing encryption policy.
Additional information on encryption, including the text of the
PROTECT Act, is available at: http://www.epic.org/crypto/
This a summerized abstract is from:
THE "NETRESULTS" NEWS SERVICE - Date: 8 April 1999
Edited by Al Bredenberg of Enterprise Interactive
(Re-edited by me)
IBM ACTION ENCOURAGES WEB SITES TO POST CLEAR PRIVACY
POLICIES - IBM..second-biggest advertiser on the Internet, has
decided to avoide advertising on any Web site that does not
post clearly what information about a web surfer is
being collected and how it will be used...
(Wall Street Journal 31 Mar 99)
FCC DECLARES ITS JURISDICTION OVER ACCESS TO THE INTERNET
Claiming it is merely resolving a dispute over how local and long-
distance phone companies must compensate each other for calls
accessing the Internet, the Federal Communications Commission
ruled that all such calls fall within its jurisdiction as
regulator of interstate communications.
Some consumer groups are concerned that the FCC ruling will
ultimately lead to per-minute charges for Internet access in the
future; however, FCC Chairman William E. Kennard says they don't
have to worry: "Consumers are used to dialing a local phone number
to get access to the Internet, and they are used to paying that
access as a local call. Nothing that we are doing in this item
will change that." (New York Times 26 Feb 99)
(via Al Bredenberg's THE "NETRESULTS" NEWS SERVICE
5 March 1999
Intel Backs Off - or do they?
Dateline: Updated 1/31/99
Earlier this week, amidst a cloud of controversy, Intel backed out of plans to
ship the utility's default from active on to off. This utility is what's used to
change the accessibility of the chips ID number. Ever since the chip-maker
announced its plans to include a unique ID number in each of its new Pentium
III CPUs, concerned users and privacy groups have had more questions than
answers. ...
Another Blow In The Crypto Wars: IBM Claims Unbreakable Code
(an excellent overall article - ABC News 8/25/98)
The Government Has Our Numbers - Wired 7/3/98
I've taken (am still taking) a concentrated look at the subject and below are some the more informative people and papers I have found useful for forming an opinion. And it is my hope that everyone will take at least some time to be exposed to the issues. These pages are more like scratch notes for my own study and if you'd like to suggest a resource... I don't propose to explain
c
r
y
p
t
o
g
r
a
p
h
y
(there are links
to
that).
I just pick up right in the middle of hot
debate.
Nor do I try to dictate the limits of
privacy
but, rather, try to point to
a
r
e
n
a
s
to
be aware of.
I support both to whatever limits tolleration will allow. :-) A.J. Ward P.S. My thanks to Tripod for providing this free space.
And to Mail City for free, web-based email. - oh, and mouse around... :-)
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." - Thomas Jefferson
A Short History of The Bill of Rights from the ACLU.
- Perhaps a bit selfserving but well makes the point of "eternal vigilance".
Hobbes' Internet Timeline by Robert H Zakon
A Brief History of the Internet by Bruce Sterling
Cryptography Timeline by Carl Ellison
A history & philosophy of free software: 'The GNU Project' by Richard Stallman
Data Recovery Labs' Security and Encryption Resources (c.2009 via Helen Stevens)
c.201011 : Beth Shelton, "I hope I'm not bothering you, but ... you might also want to add this link to your page:
"In 1998, the then American President Mr. Bill Clinton agreed on the “Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)”. According to the act, the production and dissemination or even using certain cryptanalytic methods and techniques would be considered a criminal offence. ..."
And offered the following under 'Encryption Resources':
This site is a member of the Personal Computer Privacy
Ring.
From aj:
In a 'best effort' to reduce risk and thus insure a greater degree of security and privacy, the cryptographic method is the 'weapon' of choice by many people in the electronic arena. Whether for national defense, law enforcement, human rights, commerce or personal interest, the 'right' to use this method/weapon is subject, in my view, to two basic considerations - what you think about it and what 'they' think about it.
ajward@mailcity.com
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
(to list a few - and ,oh yeah, state by state (in US) listings for their 'data recovery' centers nationwide)
bar codes inc.com's guide-to-encryption
- It has some good information on encryption and cryptography. Thanks again!"
Under the heading: Encryptions Laws:
This CryptRing site
owned by A.J. Ward.
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