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(Fwd) [NEWS] NYT on Crypto Survey



------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Tue, 8 Jun 1999 08:58:46 -0400
From:          Marc Rotenberg <rotenberg@epic.org>
Subject:       [NEWS] NYT on Crypto Survey
To:            gilc-plan@gilc.org
Reply-to:      gilc-plan@gilc.org

http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/cyber/capital/08capital.html

N.Y. Times, June 8, 1999

Movement to Relax Encryption Export Controls

Congress is back from its Memorial Day break this week, and the
ongoing debate over the Clinton Administration's encryption policy is
topping the agenda in two committees.

Fueling the fire to lift the Administration's controversial export
controls will be the release on Tuesday of the Electronic Privacy
Information Center's second survey of international encryption
policies.

The study, which was conducted with the help of the Global Internet
Liberty Campaign, concludes that "there is a movement towards
international relaxation of regulations relating to encryption
products." That movement, the report says, is bolstered by a rejection
of policies to develop systems that can give third parties and law
enforcers the codes to unscramble data.

EPIC's survey of encryption policies in some 230 counties and
territories with independent policy making authority, says that
"export controls remain the most powerful obstacle to the
development of the free flow of encryption."

It is those export controls that are under fire in Congress. On
Wednesday, the House Intelligence Committee will consider the
Security and Freedom Through Strong Encryption Act, which would lift
all export controls on strong encryption. On Thursday, Senator John
McCain is holding a hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee on his
bill to limit the Administration's authority in setting export
controls on encryption technology.


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Marc Rotenberg, director                *   +1 202 544 9240 (tel)
Electronic Privacy Information Center   *   +1 202 547 5482 (fax) 666
Pennsylvania Ave., SE Suite 301     *   rotenberg@epic.org Washington,
DC 20003   USA              +   http://www.epic.org
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