-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- In your mail, you write:
That is correct. Sorry that the BTW-statement is so evident. Some people did not understand that if you *do* agree, then you *can* be breaking any rules...
Which of course implies that to be effective, the system can't allow anyone to opt out.
Which they will, and presumably already do. Therefore, your proposal does not and cannot hamper criminals. Therefore, your proposal only hampers law abiding citizen-units' access to uncompromised crypto.
I do not agree. For instance, the encryption possibilities of wordperfect, and MS-word are weak; my mail-system (ms-exchange) does not have any encryption at all. The security of these important Custom of The Shelf products can and will be enhanced..
And as I pointed out above, the system only works when compromised-key crypto is all that is available. Where there are more secure options available, people will choose them. Your example is a good one: WordPerfect, MS Word and MS Exchange may well choose key-compromised crypto to gain the approval of the state. Thus, those products will never have real security. I can't agree that key-compromised crypto is secure at all, as it requires that some third party hold key (or the means to recover keys). You may argue that the supposed TRP can actually be trusted. I'm not willing to grant that trust without good cause. In the case of governments, I'm simply not willing to grant that trust at all. (to be fair, I acknowledge that the USA is not the Netherlands, and you may not understand Americans' distrust of our government)
The point is that public available systems should *aid* not them in their criminal activities, let them search for alternatives. Compare it with the legislation we have here on the sell of guns. You sort of say: hey, that does not help cause criminals will get it somewhere. I say, that is true, but it will make their lifes more difficult, or maybe I should say less easy.
My point is that I, as a member of the public, should not be restricted in *my* choices. Just as gun control laws make it harder for me to lawfully purchase and own a gun, your proposal makes it harder for me to lawfully obtain strong cryptography. The obvious difference is that guns are capable of inflicting fatal damage to humans, where cryptography is not.
Registration plates do not "stop criminals". Locks do not "stop criminals" (although they might slow a criminal down). Neither will compromised crypto "stop criminals". But all the above impinge on my liberty. Am I to give up yet another freedom?
Our system slows down criminals too, or maybe I'd better say does not speed them up.
And it also makes me more vulnerable. You are asking me to compromise my own security because some other person might abuse his own capability. Will you also ask that I allow my muscles to atrophy to the point where I cannot inflict damage with a blow from my fist, because others might decide to fight? It is important to remember that cryptography is 100% defensive. It _cannot_ be used in an offensive manner. Any plan to weaken or restrict cryptography is a plan to disallow defenses. How can you ask me to leave myself vulnerable to attackers?
We believe our system gives a solution in which every democratic country on his own implement to their middle, without losing connectivity with countries that think otherwise.
Repressive states will endeavor not to allow connectivity with non-repressive states. Your plan only facilitates the repressors. Thus, you offer weapons of repression to governments. Still think it's such a good idea? - -- Roy M. Silvernail [ ] roy@scytale.com DNRC Minister Plenipotentiary of All Things Confusing, Software Division PGP Public Key fingerprint = 31 86 EC B9 DB 76 A7 54 13 0B 6A 6B CC 09 18 B6 Key available from pubkey@scytale.com -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQCVAwUBMmRoQxvikii9febJAQHOvAQAhzUvsJapB+lBWM0MNjkOPFg0PtIFIKID 7uhWjzQ7Lwp7WlCeiqcB9+AdZuQMxAC/cq4uJai98jv8/5ba3t1uPiLMIx+ytSAN q8UURDF3CWaX5TAzrC0OvdPUc+LONXVBebX0PMtwHaGZfsJWnebschJA36zRIY8Z in8xv1t78Z8= =GITW -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----