For California types: Barbara Boxer and Matt Fong responding to questions
in today's SJMC news:
HI-TECH ISSUES
1. Did the administration's July 7 decision to let software
companies export encryption software to financial institutions in
certain counties go far enough toward relaxing the rules on
encryption exports? Why/why not?
BOXER: I am a cosponsor of Senator Burns' Pro-CODE legislation,
which prohibits the Secretary of Commerce from putting any restrictions
on the export of encrypted items -- regardless of bit or key length. The
administration's proposal did not go far enough at all.
FONG: The administration's new policy simply does not go far enough.
The administration is rightfully worried about national security, but the
Genie is out of the bottle. While Clinton has stuck to his restrictive
export
policy on encryption software, foreign encryption products have become
more sophisticated and more price competitive. US companies should be
allowed to export encryption software if similar products are already
available by foreign competitors.
We'd see more contrast with Feinstein's answer. Too bad