From: omega@spica.bu.edu (The Omega)
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 92 16:16:25 PDT
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Contact:  Nikki Draper  (415) 322-3778


     Computer Public Advocacy Group To Examine FBI Wiretap Scheme
                     at October Annual Meeting.

Palo Alto, Calif., October 1, 1992 -- Computer Professionals for Social
Responsibility (CPSR), the national public interest organization based
here, will take an in-depth look at its recent suit against the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) during CPSR's 1992 Annual Meeting,
October 17th and 18th at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.
CPSR Legal Counsel, David Sobel, will talk about the FBI suit for the
first time since it was filed and moderate a panel discussion on the
politics of cryptography at the annual meeting.  The CPSR annual
meeting is a provactive two-day conference that addresses critical
issues facing society as a result of information technology.

CPSR filed suit against the FBI in September, after the Bureau failed
to make public documents that would justify the need for its new
wiretap proposal.  The FBI proposal would redesign the telephone
network to make wiretapping easier.  Recognizing the importance of
cryptography policy, CPSR catalyzed a national debate earlier this
year, as to whether or not the FBI and National Security Agency
(NSA) should be involved in setting the technical standards for the
computer and communications industry.

The panel discussion will include a screening and discussion of film
clips from the movie, Sneakers.  Panelists include, Joan Feigenbaum,
Technical Staff, Computing Principles Research, ATT Bell Labs, John
Gilmore, founder of Cygnus Support, and Dave Banisar, CPSR Policy
Analyst.

CPSR's annual meeting will  bring together computer scientists from
across the country to examine the relationship between politics and
technology.  Other topics include:

    *  Teledemocracy & Citizen Participation:
        Beyond the Electronic Town Meeting,

This session is an election year look at the dangers and the
opportunites of electronic democracy.  Speaker, Susan G. Hadden,
professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at
Austin, an expert on telecommunications and citizen participation.

    *  Everything's Digital!  Media Convergence:  Hope, Hype or Hell?

This session examines the social implications of multimedia
convergence which is the merging of computer, telephone, and video
technology.  Panel discussion with David Bunnell, Editor, New Media,
Denise Caruso, Editor, Digital Media, and Howard Rheingold, Whole
Earth Review

    *  Envisioning Technology Policy in a Democratic Society;

A panel of technologists looks at the development of American
technology policy.  Panelists include, Gary Chapman, The 21st
Century Project, Judy Stern, CPSR/Berkeley, Claire Zvanski, SEIU
Local 790.

President of Interval Research, Dave Liddle, will be the keynote
speaker at CPSR's awards banquet Saturday evening.  Liddle will be
speaking on the Computing in the 21st Century.  IBM researcher,
Barbara Simons will be presented with the 1992 Norbert Wiener
Award for Social and Professional Responsibility in Computing.

Founded in 1981, CPSR is a national, non-profit, public interest
organization of computer scientists and other professionals concerned
with the impact of computer technology on society.  With offices in
Washington, D.C. and Boston, CPSR's members provide the public and
policy makers with expert testimony and assessments on the power, promise, and
 limitations of computer technology.

For more information about CPSR call 415-322-3778 or send email to
cpsr@csli.stanford.edu.