Re: Article

From: "Haywood J. Blowme" [ quoting an article ]

President Clinton gave a major boost yesterday to one telephone- scrambler technology in a decision its delighted manufacture likens to the choice of VHS over Beta for videotape machines.

Interesting that they picked that particular analogy. It's quite close, in that it's an inferior technology winning over a superior one. It's different, of course, in that the Federales had nothing to do with videotape standards (afaik), and certainly didn't outlaw Beta.

An administration official said the consideration will be given to BANNING more sophisticated systems investigators cannot crack, thereby creating a balance between banning private encryption and declaring a public right to unbreakably coded coversations.

Right on schedule. "Consideration will be given", will it? This looks like a good time to load up on source code and photocopy relevant journal articles. While it won't sway Joe Public much, it's worth remembering that the suppression of strong communications privacy will also make it difficult or impossible to get good digicash (or other systems relying on cryptographic techniques) deployed before our government proposes its "just one little loophole" scheme, HarmoniousBalanceCash. Don't worry, transaction records will only be released upon formal request from the IRS or a major marketing division, and only suspected drug users and potential terrorists will have their assets annulled. And statute strictly prohibits intelligence agencies from padding their assassination budgets by using the loophole to forge cash. PGP 2 key by finger or e-mail (offer void when prohibited) Eli ebrandt@jarthur.claremont.edu