[4004] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: France Allows 128 Bit Crypto
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Enzo Michelangeli)
Tue Jan 19 20:04:56 1999
From: "Enzo Michelangeli" <em@who.net>
To: "John Young" <jya@pipeline.com>, <cryptography@c2.net>
Cc: <privacy@ssrc.hku.hk>
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 08:50:53 +0800
Er, Babelfish confirms itself a lousy translator (how did "offrir une
liberté complète dans l'utilisation de la cryptologie " become "to offer a
freedom supplements in the use of cryptology"??) Let me try to do better...
---
The third legislative initiative concerns cryptography. With the development
of electronic espionage instruments, cryptography appears as an essential
instrument of privacy protection.
We had, one year ago, made a first step towards liberalization of
cryptographic instruments. At that time I had announced that we were going
to make one further. The Government has, since then, heard the players,
questioned the experts and consulted its international partners. We have
today become convinced that the legislation of 1996 is no longer suitable.
In fact, it strongly restricts the usage of cryptography in France, on the
other hand, for all that, without allowing the public powers to fight
effectively against criminal actions of which encryption could facilitate
the dissimulation.
In order to change the orientation of our legislation, the Government has
thus retained the following orientations, that I have discussed with the
President of the Republic:
- To offer a complete freedom of use of cryptography
- To remove the compulsory nature or third-party escrow of encryption keys
- To supplement the current legal framework by the introduction of
obligations, together with penal sanctions, concerning the handing-over
to the legal authorities, when they require it, of the cleartext
version of encrypted documents. At the same time, the technical
skills of the public authorities will be significantly improved.
Changing the law will take many months. The Govenment has decided
that the main obstacles holding up the citizens from protecting the
confidentiality of their communications and the development of
electronic commerce be lifted without waiting. Also, waiting
for the announced legislative changes, the Government has decided
to raise the the the threshold of cryptology the use of which is
free, from 40 bit to 128 bit, considered by the experts a level
suitable to ensure durably a very high security.
---
Time to sing the Marseillaise again? :-)
Enzo
-----Original Message-----
From: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
To: cryptography@c2.net <cryptography@c2.net>
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 1999 7:11 AM
Subject: France Allows 128 Bit Crypto
The French Prime Minister today announced that due to the threat of
espionage and invasion of privacy France will allow encryption
strength up to 128 bits:
http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/PM/D190199.HTM
[Excerpt; Babelfish English below.]
(c) Le troisième chantier législatif concerne la cryptologie.
Alors que se développent les moyens d'espionnage électronique, la
cryptologie apparaît comme un moyen essentiel pour protéger la
confidentialité des échanges et la protection de la vie privée.
Nous avions, il y a un an, franchi un premier pas vers la
libéralisation des moyens de cryptologie. J'avais annoncé alors que
nous en franchirions un autre ultérieurement. Le Gouvernement a,
depuis, entendu les acteurs, interrogé les experts et consulté ses
partenaires internationaux. Nous avons aujourd'hui acquis la
conviction que la législation de 1996 n'est plus adaptée. En effet,
elle restreint fortement l'usage de la cryptologie en France, sans
d'ailleurs permettre pour autant aux pouvoirs publics de lutter
efficacement contre des agissements criminels dont le chiffrement
pourrait faciliter la dissimulation.
Pour changer l'orientation de notre législation, le Gouvernement a
donc retenu les orientations suivantes dont je me suis entretenu
avec le Président de la République :
- offrir une liberté complète dans l'utilisation de la cryptologie ;
- supprimer le caractère obligatoire du recours au tiers de confiance
pour le dépôt des clefs de chiffrement ;
- compléter le dispositif juridique actuel par l'instauration
d'obligations, assorties de sanctions pénales, concernant la remise
aux autorités judiciaires, lorsque celles-ci la demandent, de la
transcription en clair des documents chiffrés. De même, les capacités
techniques des pouvoirs publics seront significativement renforcées.
Changer la loi prendra plusieurs mois. Le Gouvernement a voulu que
les principales entraves qui pèsent sur les citoyens pour protéger la
confidentialité de leurs échanges et sur le développement du commerce
électronique soient levées sans attendre. Ainsi, dans l'attente des
modifications législatives annoncées, le Gouvernement a décidé de
relever le seuil de la cryptologie dont l'utilisation est libre, de
40 bits à 128 bits, niveau considéré par les experts comme assurant
durablement une très grande sécurité.
----------
English translation by Babelfish:
(c) the third legislative building site relates to cryptology. Whereas
develop the means of electronic espionage, cryptology seems an average
essence to protect the confidentiality from the exchanges and protection
of the private life.
We had, one year ago, crossed a first step towards the liberalization
of the means of cryptology. I had announced whereas we would cross some
another later on. The Government, since, heard the actors, questioned
the experts and consulted its international partners. We acquired the
conviction today that the legislation of 1996 is not adapted any more.
Indeed, it strongly restricts the use of cryptology in France, without
allowing besides for the public authorities fighting as much effectively
against criminal intrigues whose encryption could facilitate the
dissimulation.
To change the orientation of our legislation, the Government thus
followed the following orientations of which I discussed with the
President the Republic:
- 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;
- to supplement the current legal device by the introduction of
obligations, together with penal sanctions, concerning the handing-over
with the legal authorities, when those require it, of the transcription
in light of the quantified documents. In the same way, the technical
capacities of the public authorities will significantly be reinforced.
To change the law will take several months. The Government wanted that
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
modification legislative announce, the Government have decide to raise
the threshold of cryptology of which the use be free, of 40 bit with 128
bit, level consider by the expert ensure durably a very large safety.
-----
Thanks to P for pointing.
