[3460] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Retraction of Secret Service checking laptops story
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Sidney Markowitz)
Wed Oct 14 10:06:02 1998
From: "Sidney Markowitz" <sidney@communities.com>
To: <cryptography@c2.net>
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1998 00:43:12 -0700
My report of a friend's experience of having her laptop checked for the
128-bit crypto version of web browser has generated a lot of response. I
hope that this retraction will end most of it.
On being pressed for details she first denied having said that it was the US
Secret Service who were checking, then clarified that it happened at JFK
international departures terminal, not in Washington DC. She then claimed
that her job does not allow any talking to the Press and has not responded
to any more of my requests for details.
The story has elicited much email asking me for more information and not one
indicating that anyone else has had such an experience.
I have to conclude that my friend's original story is not credible.
I apologize to the Cryptography list for the apparently bad information. If
you disseminated this story outside this list, please pass along this
retraction.
-- Sidney Markowitz <sidney@communities.com>
