From: Ernest Hua <hua@chromatic.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Sep 1997 09:46:05 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Is Feinstein's comment a blessing in disguise?
Message-ID: <199709090124.SAA20631@ohio.chromatic.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



    "Nothing other than some kind of mandatory key recovery really
    does the job," the California Democrat said at a hearing of the
    Senate Judiciary Committee's technology, terrorism, and government
    information subcommittee.

This comment may, in fact, be a powerful weapon against ANY control.

In fact, Feinstein is believing that no half-assed policy (including
the current policy and Kerrey's bill) will really help law enforcement
much.  I can imagine why Freeh would not just jump at that conclusion
full-force.  He is not that stupid.  If he were to hold onto that
conclusion too tightly, then there is little justification for any law
"encouraging" the proliferation of key-recovery products, as that
would be worthless in terms of providing relief to law enforcement.

Basically, Feinstein is providing further support for the
long-standing argument that unless you plug every leak (a.k.a. no
KR/GAK product), criminals will find the loop-hole and work around
government surveillence.

Ern