[4018] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
RE: France Allows 128 Bit Crypto
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Black Unicorn)
Wed Jan 20 17:50:31 1999
From: "Black Unicorn" <unicorn@schloss.li>
To: "Clive D.W. Feather" <clive@davros.org>, <cryptography@c2.net>
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 13:27:36 -0600
In-Reply-To: <0uik$ELWxap2Ewtw@romana.davros.org>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-cryptography@c2.net [mailto:owner-cryptography@c2.net]On
> Behalf Of Clive D.W. Feather
> Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 1999 4:14 AM
> To: cryptography@c2.net
> Subject: Re: France Allows 128 Bit Crypto
>
>
> In article <36A53FCE.7E13@lsil.com>, Michael Motyka <mmotyka@lsil.com>
> writes
> >> - 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.
> >>
> >but this says: "if we want the key you have to give it to us or go to
> >jail."
>
> Where ?
>
> It says "handing-over ... of the cleartext version". In other words, a
> power to request plaintext under warrant. Not the key.
>
> If you accept the sense in a law to allow law enforcement to seize
> documents with a search warrant, then you should not be able to evade
> the spirit of that law by encrypting the document. This is the direction
> we *should* be pushing at: plaintext under warrant without revealing the
> key.
WOAH. Are you sure you know what you are doing? You're close to imposing a
duty to decrypt punishable by penal sanctions (read jailtime). This is
precisely the WRONG way to go.
