Subject: Terrorist FBI, on Terrorism Date: Fri, 4 Sep 1998 09:58:23 EDT
Statement for the Record FBI Director Louis J. Freeh before the Senate Judiciary Committee, September 3, 1998
The FBI supports a balanced encryption policy that satisfies fourth amendment concerns for privacy, the commercial needs of industry for robust encryption, and the government's public safety and national security needs.
For the Nth time, let me restate the obvious: all current crypto restrictions being discussed involve _exports_. There are no domestic restrctictions whatsoever on domestic use of crypto. Any of us, even resident aliens, tourists, terrorists, etc. are perfectly free to use PGP, one time pads, stego, and even Meganet Snake Oil Unbreakable Crypto. There are, officially, no proposals on the table to limit speech within the U.S. by limiting the types and forms of language may use. There is the SAFE bill, which stands zero chance of passing, but this involves relaxing export requirements (though I expect compromises added, such as the felonization of crypto use in a crime, are an unwelcome step toward domestic restrictions). But it bears constant repeating, especially to the skeptical, that there are NO DOMESTIC CRYPTO LAWS. Unlike some other countries, the fascists have not yet managed to get a foothold in the attempt to limit use of crypto by the citizen-units. We all know this, but Freeh and Company continue to mumble about "meeting the legitmate needs of law enforcement." What can they be speaking of? And since the Fourth Amendment is an internal U.S. thing (not counting limited applicability to some foreigners, and of course to U.S. citizens abroad who encounter U.S. offices, etc.), what can Louis possibly be referring to when he speaks of the Fourth Amendment? Surely he is not referring to satisfying the Fourth Amendment concerns for privacy amongst the Russians, Afghans, and so forth? Obviously his side is contemplating domestic crypto restrictions. We all know this, but it sometimes bears repeating what the Constitution says, what the status quo is, and what they are proposing. They are planning domestic crypto restrictions, GAK, and all the rest of what we have long expected. When that comes, anyone will be full jusfified in taking action by any means necessary to halt the onset of the total state. --Tim May "The tree of liberty must be watered periodically with the blood of tyrants...." ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- 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, Licensed Ontologist | black markets, collapse of governments.