FITUG e.V.
Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft
FITUG e.V.Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft |
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http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3H4NZIX8C
The price of policing e-business
By Jean Eaglesham and Carlos Grande
Published: May 31 2000 22:59GMT | Last Updated: June 1 2000 07:59GMT
John Smith sometimes gets e-mails at work from someone suspected of tax evasion. The police, armed with a warrant from the Home Office, demand Mr Smith hands over either the key that will allow them to decrypt the messages or plain text versions of them.
If Mr Smith refuses, he faces up to two years in jail. If he says he has forgotten the key and a court does not believe him, he could also be jailed. If he complies and hands over the key, the police may be able to access all the e-mails sent on that system. If the police lose the key, the company's entire security system could be put at risk. But if Mr Smith warns his employer or anyone else about the police's request, he again faces a stiff jail sentence.
[...]
The British measures are likely to have repercussions round the world. "The UK is acting as a stalking horse for an awful lot of other countries - most of the rest of Europe is looking at what happens here," says Peter Sommer, a research fellow at the London School of Economics.
They also foreshadow debate in the US on the Cyberspace Electronic Security Act, currently before Congress. This legislation, allowing law enforcement agencies access to decryption keys, is expected to encounter tough opposition from privacy campaigners, even though most critics believe it is less draconian than the UK proposals.
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