From: "Philippe Nave" <pdn@dwroll.dw.att.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 94 11:34:55 PDT
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Remailer Musings
In-Reply-To: <9404182156.AA20614@newton.apple.com>
Message-ID: <9404191721.AA27685@ig1.att.att.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


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Hello, all!

The recent posting by Scott Collins about his remailer and the copyright
incident illustrates several problems with the remailer system as I see it.
I'll keep this brief, but I have a basic, low-level problem with all the
remailers I have seen so far - until this issue is resolved, I will never
have any faith in any remailer system whatsoever.

Every one of the remailers I have seen in operation so far provides a 
'real' address to the target system. That is, when (not if) someone is 
irritated by an anonymous posting, they have only to look in the message
header to get an address for their hate mail, legal action, mailbombs, etc.
This essentially co-opts the remailer operator along with the anonymous
poster with regard to content. (Yes, yes, I *know* that the remailers are
supposed to be 'anonymous Post Offices.') As Scott Collins' message 
explained, *he* (the remailer operator) is taking the heat for the alleged
copyright violation, and his correspondent is not terribly impressed with
Scott's protestations of innocence. Since Scott indicated that he keeps
no logs, he is the sole target; this is grossly unfair to an individual
who is trying to provide a service. (Yes, yes, 'Life ain't fair,' but 
sooner or later you're going to run out of martyrs who are willing to 
take the fall for abuses of their remailers...)

Converseley, there may exist a set of remailer operators that *do* keep 
logs for the express purpose of dodging the bullet in cases like Scott's;
if a message went through that generated enough heat, that sort of remailer
operator would waste no time in compromising the poster's identity to 
get out of the hot seat.

In my mind, then, the solution to these problems requires remailers that
leave *no trace* of message origins, including the address of the remailer
itself. If this is not possible, then I for one will employ other means
for anonymous communication.

This is not intended to present any specific remailer operator or group
of operators in a bad light; in fact, I was particularly impressed by 
Scott's indication that he did not keep logs. I throw out these thoughts
in the hope that they will be considered by the authors of remailer software.

- --
........................................................................
Philippe D. Nave, Jr.   | Strong Crypto: Don't leave $HOME without it!
pdn@dwroll.dw.att.com   | 
Denver, Colorado USA    | PGP public key: by arrangement.

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