[4001] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
France Allows 128 Bit Crypto
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (John Young)
Tue Jan 19 18:55:04 1999
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 14:56:10 -0500
To: cryptography@c2.net
From: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
The French Prime Minister today announced that due to the threat of
espionage and invasion of privacy France will allow encryption=20
strength up to 128 bits:
http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/PM/D190199.HTM
[Excerpt; Babelfish English below.]
(c) Le troisi=E8me chantier l=E9gislatif concerne la cryptologie.=20
Alors que se d=E9veloppent les moyens d'espionnage =E9lectronique, la=20
cryptologie appara=EEt comme un moyen essentiel pour prot=E9ger la=20
confidentialit=E9 des =E9changes et la protection de la vie priv=E9e.
Nous avions, il y a un an, franchi un premier pas vers la=20
lib=E9ralisation des moyens de cryptologie. J'avais annonc=E9 alors que=20
nous en franchirions un autre ult=E9rieurement. Le Gouvernement a,=20
depuis, entendu les acteurs, interrog=E9 les experts et consult=E9 ses=20
partenaires internationaux. Nous avons aujourd'hui acquis la=20
conviction que la l=E9gislation de 1996 n'est plus adapt=E9e. En effet,=20
elle restreint fortement l'usage de la cryptologie en France, sans=20
d'ailleurs permettre pour autant aux pouvoirs publics de lutter=20
efficacement contre des agissements criminels dont le chiffrement=20
pourrait faciliter la dissimulation.
Pour changer l'orientation de notre l=E9gislation, le Gouvernement a=20
donc retenu les orientations suivantes dont je me suis entretenu=20
avec le Pr=E9sident de la R=E9publique :
- offrir une libert=E9 compl=E8te dans l'utilisation de la cryptologie ;
- supprimer le caract=E8re obligatoire du recours au tiers de confiance=20
pour le d=E9p=F4t des clefs de chiffrement ;
- compl=E9ter le dispositif juridique actuel par l'instauration=20
d'obligations, assorties de sanctions p=E9nales, concernant la remise=20
aux autorit=E9s judiciaires, lorsque celles-ci la demandent, de la=20
transcription en clair des documents chiffr=E9s. De m=EAme, les capacit=E9s=
=20
techniques des pouvoirs publics seront significativement renforc=E9es.
Changer la loi prendra plusieurs mois. Le Gouvernement a voulu que=20
les principales entraves qui p=E8sent sur les citoyens pour prot=E9ger la
confidentialit=E9 de leurs =E9changes et sur le d=E9veloppement du commerce
=E9lectronique soient lev=E9es sans attendre. Ainsi, dans l'attente des
modifications l=E9gislatives annonc=E9es, le Gouvernement a d=E9cid=E9 de
relever le seuil de la cryptologie dont l'utilisation est libre, de=20
40 bits =E0 128 bits, niveau consid=E9r=E9 par les experts comme assurant=20
durablement une tr=E8s grande s=E9curit=E9.
----------
English translation by Babelfish:
(c) the third legislative building site relates to cryptology. Whereas=20
develop the means of electronic espionage, cryptology seems an average=20
essence to protect the confidentiality from the exchanges and protection=20
of the private life. =20
We had, one year ago, crossed a first step towards the liberalization=20
of the means of cryptology. I had announced whereas we would cross some=20
another later on. The Government, since, heard the actors, questioned=20
the experts and consulted its international partners. We acquired the=20
conviction today that the legislation of 1996 is not adapted any more. =20
Indeed, it strongly restricts the use of cryptology in France, without=20
allowing besides for the public authorities fighting as much effectively=20
against criminal intrigues whose encryption could facilitate the=20
dissimulation. =20
To change the orientation of our legislation, the Government thus=20
followed the following orientations of which I discussed with the=20
President the Republic: =20
- to offer a freedom supplements in the use of cryptology;
- to remove the obligatory character of the recourse to the third of
confidence for the deposit of the keys of encryption; =20
- to supplement the current legal device by the introduction of=20
obligations, together with penal sanctions, concerning the handing-over=20
with the legal authorities, when those require it, of the transcription=20
in light of the quantified documents. In the same way, the technical=20
capacities of the public authorities will significantly be reinforced. =20
To change the law will take several months. The Government wanted that=20
the principal obstacles which weigh on the citizens to protect the
confidentiality from their exchanges and on the development of the
electronic trade are raised without waiting. Thus, in the waiting of=20
modification legislative announce, the Government have decide to raise=20
the threshold of cryptology of which the use be free, of 40 bit with 128=20
bit, level consider by the expert ensure durably a very large safety.
-----
Thanks to P for pointing.
