From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 14:38:34 +0800
To: Adam Back <phelix@vallnet.com
Subject: Re: (eternity) mailing list and activity
In-Reply-To: <34b9a145.15127288@128.2.84.191>
Message-ID: <v03102800b0e209877c39@[207.167.93.63]>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



At 4:26 PM -0800 1/13/98, Adam Back wrote:
>phelix@vallnet.com writes:
>> On 11 Jan 1998 18:48:24 -0600, Adam Back <aba@dcs.ex.ac.uk> wrote:
>> [secret splitting eternity data on servers]
>>
>> What prevents the operator of such a server from being charged with
>> "conspiracy to provide child porn" or whatever?
>
>I expect so.  I also expect the spooks will be the ones submitting the
>child porn to the service.
>
>> If he is holding a portion of such contraband, isn't he as liable as
>> if he was holding the whole article(s)?
>
>RICO may make holding a portion worse than the whole thing as it may
>then be construed as a conspiracy, RICO allowing asset forfeiture.


This is why I favor systems where there is no way to localize the holder of
data.

I'm unpersuaded that any of the Eternity proposals avoid this. If _any_
site holding data is localized (traced, identified), it _will_ come under
legal, financial, or physical attack.

If a "network of nodes" is the server, that network and any identifiable
nodes in it will be attacked. It doesn't matter whether the precise server
of a precise piece of data can be pinpointed. (Think of the Gestapo, the
Inquisition, the Ayotollah, the BATF, and ask whether they would care if
the exact machine had been isolated?)

(Dangers of Eternity servers, a note: Also, the developers of such nodes,
and such software, will be major targets, no matter where they live. In
fact, how will source code for Eternity nodes be checked? It's hard enough
checking PGP source code, and no one even bothers to try to check remailer
source code for backdoors, bugs, etc. (no impugning of Mixmaster, but I see
no mention of people checking it, etc.). My point is a simple one: even if
Ryan Lackey leaves the country, as he says he plans to do, various entities
will probably either harass him, or, more ominously, get him to modify the
source code, to put "barium" in it, and all sorts of such things. Just a
thought.

Until I see proof that these suspicions are wrong, I can't get excited
about any of the Eternity schemes.

--Tim May

The Feds have shown their hand: they want a ban on domestic cryptography
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
ComSec 3DES:   408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
Higher Power: 2^2,976,221   | black markets, collapse of governments.
"National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."