[632] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: Crypto moves forward: Commerce Dept panel and SAFE markup
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (David Hayes)
Mon Apr 28 12:38:59 1997
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 11:18:47 -0500
To: cryptography@c2.net
From: David Hayes <david.hayes@mci.com>
Cc: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
At 06:47 PM 4/24/97, Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com> wrote:
> Today
>the Department of Commerce announced that it was creating a new committee
>to advise it on crypto-issues. A department official told me it would be
>composed of "businesses that export encryption," and interested parties
>have 15 working days to file comments. A way for the White House to split
>industry opposition and persuade high tech firms to buy into key escrow?
The problem here is that "businesses that export encryption" have by
definition already accepted the White House's regulations on crypto. In
order to be exporting currently, these businesses have already agreed to
ship only 40-bit, or 56-bit escrow/recovery, products. What the committee
needs is representatives from the crypto vendors who DO NOT export under the
current regs.
Imagine the Administration's conclusions after this lap-dog committee
announces support for escrow/recovery: "A group of manufacturers who already
agreed with us today announced that they agree with us."
Another Administration attempt to create the appearance of public support,
while ignoring the actual public sentiment they receive.
--
David Hayes David.Hayes@MCI.Com
Switch Systems Engineering voice: 972-918-7236
MCI Communications, Inc. VNET: 777-7236
--If these thoughts were MCI's official opinions, the line above would
--read "MCI - Corporate Communications Department".
