<sarcasm alert> Perhaps we should start suggesting to members of the press that they ask the U.S. Congress members how far they take the position of key escrow. After all, the primary government utilization of cryptography is in the military and intelligence community. Given the long, colourful history of rogue operations and criminal actions hidden under the cover of secrecy (including the usage of strong cryptographic systems), we might propose that the U.S. and other governments escrow their own keys--how about the UN, with the Security Council members having the right to decipher messages, or InterPol, or the World Court. After all, if individuals have no right to privacy, why should any organization have one? Is the right to privacy and secrecy something that comes from additive rights? Does it come from possession of military force, up to and including nuclear weapons? What's the line? I personally wouldn't mind knowing the threshold I need to cross to have a 'right' to privacy. It gives me a goal. What is not good for the swarm is not good for the bee. --Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Michael Wilson http://www.7pillars.com/