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   Thursday March 20 2:56 PM EST 
   
Clinton Admin. To Offer Encryption Bill Shortly

   WASHINGTON - The Clinton administration plans to introduce legislation
   soon that would clearly affirm that encryption users in this country
   are free to use any type or strength of encryption technology, a
   senior administration official said.
   
   Currently, no such explicit law is on the books.
   
   Under Secretary of Commerce William Reinsch also told a Senate
   Commerce Committee hearing the bill would explicitly state that
   participation in so-called "key management infrastructure" would be
   voluntary. Key refers to the password or software "key" that can read
   encrypted information.
   
   The bill also would:
   
   -- Spell out the legal conditions for the release of "recovery
   information" to law enforcement officials. The bill also provides
   legal safeguards for third-party "key recovery agents" who have
   properly released such information.
   
   -- Criminalizes the misuse of keys and the use of encryption to
   further a crime.
   
   -- Offers, on a voluntary basis, firms that are in the business of
   providing public cryptography keys the opportunity to obtain
   government recognition. Such recognition, Reinsch said, would allow
   firms to "market the trustworthiness implied by government approval.
   
   The testimony came in a hearing on two bills introduced by Senate
   lawmakers that would remove almost all export curbs on encryption
   technology.
   
   The administration's newest export policy, enacted through executive
   order in November and in effect since January 1, allows export of
   stronger encryption than previously allowed.
   
   But it requires companies to incorporate features within two years
   allowing the government to crack the codes by getting access to the
   software keys.
   
   Administration officials said they opposed the export provisions in
   the two Senate bills, saying that the export liberalization goes too
   far.
   
   The bills were offered by Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Conrad Burns
   (R-Montana).
   
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