From: "Vladimir Z. Nuri" <vznuri@netcom.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 12:34:11 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: ashcroft on encryption
Message-ID: <199801190418.UAA19045@netcom16.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain




------- Forwarded Message

Date:    Sun, 18 Jan 98 17:51:16 -0500
From:    vols-fan@juno.com (R L Johnson)
To:      ignition-point@majordomo.pobox.com
Subject: IP: Senator Wants Back Door to Encrypted Data Closed

http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/9661.html

Senator Wants Back Door to Encrypted Data Closed
                     Reuters 

                     3:15pm  14.Jan.98.PST
                     WASHINGTON - Sounding the opening bell of a
                     renewed battle over encryption policy, Senate
                     Republican John D. Ashcroft has declared he
                     would oppose legislation that would mandate that
                     all software made in the Unites States be
                     equipped with features that would allow
                     government access to all encrypted data. 

                     "Americans must be free to communicate
                     privately, without the government listening in,"
                     Ashcroft said in a statement Tuesday. "The
                     privacy concerns here are fundamental and call for
                     serious consideration by the Senate." 

                     The Missouri Republican said he would hold a
                     hearing next month on the issue in the Senate
                     Judiciary's Constitution, Federalism, and Property
                     Rights subcommittee he chairs. 

                     Ashcroft's remarks followed a battle last year in
                     Congress over regulation of encryption technology,
                     which scrambles information and renders it
                     unreadable without a password or software "key." 

                     Encryption has become an increasingly critical
                     means of securing electronic commerce and
                     communications on the Internet. But the
                     scrambling capability can also be used by
                     criminals to hide their dealings from law
                     enforcement agencies. 

                     A bill approved by the Senate Commerce
                     Committee last year would impose strong
                     incentives to promote the use of encryption with a
                     back door to allow covert government decoding of
                     any information. And legislation approved by some
                     committees in the House would go even further,
                     requiring the back door in all products sold in the
                     United States. 

                     Ashcroft said he opposed the Senate measure,
                     sponsored by Bob Kerrey, Democrat of Nebraska,
                     and John McCain, Republican of Arizona. Majority
                     Leader Trent Lott asked Ashcroft to "pay special
                     attention" to the issue, Ashcroft said. 


**********************************************
To subscribe or unsubscribe, email:
     majordomo@majordomo.pobox.com
with the message:
     subscribe ignition-point email@address
or
     unsubscribe ignition-point email@address
**********************************************
http://www.telepath.com/believer
**********************************************

------- End of Forwarded Message