From: thad@hammerhead.com (Thaddeus J. Beier)
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 1996 17:54:34 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: TWP on Crypto Keys
Message-ID: <199603120544.VAA02212@hammerhead.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Somebody posted this editorial this morning, that includes the
following passage:

>    The Washington Post, March 11, 1996, p. A18.
> 
>    Security and Software [Editorial]
...
> 
>    Legislation introduced this month in both the House and the
>    Senate would ease the export restrictions while attempting
>    to meet some of the government's security concerns. Code
>    makers would deposit a "spare key" to any exported
>    encryption software with a trusted third-party agency...

Now, I thought that the bills did no such thing.  How could The
Washington Post get this so wrong?

As I understand it, the bills do not in any way tie export to
key escrow.  They mention key escrow only to the extent that
they specify that it is illegal to disclose the keys.

Why would the paper get this cockeyed?  Is it just a screwup,
or are they pushing for a change?

thad
-- Thaddeus Beier                     thad@hammerhead.com
   Technology Development                   408) 286-3376
   Hammerhead Productions        http://www.got.net/~thad