--- begin forwarded text From: Nicola Dourambeis <nicola@zks.net> To: ZKS Press Releases <zks-press@zks.net> Subject: [ZKS Press Release] 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights a Reminder th at Privacy must be Preserved Date: Wed, 9 Dec 1998 18:13:51 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Sender: owner-zks-press@zks.net Precedence: normal Reply-To: press@zks.net ======================================================== Zero-Knowledge Systems Press Release, http://www.zks.net ======================================================== 50th Anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights a Reminder that Privacy must be Preserved. Web site launched to allow citizens of the world to protest their loss of privacy. December 9, 1998 (Montreal)--On the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), as well as in protest of the recent changes to cryptography policies worldwide, Zero-Knowledge Systems is spearheading a campaign to encourage governments to loosen newly imposed cryptography restrictions. This campaign, seen on the web site http://www.freecrypto.org, enables citizens of the world to express their outrage and concern at the increasing loss of their privacy. Article 12 of the UDHR states, "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family home, or correspondence...." Yet, decades later, we are witnessing the unprecedented collection of personal information and intrusions into the lives of many. Internet users in particular, confront multiple privacy violations while online. Over 80% of Internet users polled consider privacy be their primary concern. The best defense for online privacy is to use strong cryptography, which allows Internet users to preserve the privacy of their communications and personal information. On December 3, 1998, the Internet community experienced one of the strongest setbacks to their privacy in recent years. The 33 member countries of the Wassenaar Arrangement agreed for the first time to impose export restrictions on mass-market cryptography products. Until December 3rd, the majority of the Wassenaar signatories did not impose export controls over mass-market products that protect personal security and privacy through cryptography. The United States Department of Commerce Under-Secretary has taken credit for convincing all other Wassenaar countries to impose these added restrictions over cryptography designed for average citizens. Barry Steinhardt, President of the Electronic Frontier Foundation believes "The US government has strong-armed the rest of the industrialized world into adopting a policy that will make us less secure and more vulnerable to electronic terrorism. Our critical national and international infrastructures need to be protected by strong encryption. Weak encryption with back doors that will be exploited not just by governments, but by information pirates, will leave us at greater risk." "It is not too late to reverse course," continues Steinhardt. "Wassenaar allows, but does not require, the other national governments to follow the US' foolish lead." "Cryptography is the key to preserving privacy for Internet users," explains Austin Hill, President of Zero-Knowledge Systems. "By limiting the accessibility of cryptography, you are limiting people's ability to protect themselves. Now, more than ever, we have the ability to influence the future of the electronic world; we must ensure that it has the same the basic rights and protections that the UDHR promised us fifty years ago." Hill continues, "We hope that Internet users will be proactive in protesting this human rights infringement to their governments. The freecrypto.org web site provides such a space, where users can learn about the issues and send their government representatives a message expressing their dissatisfaction with the tightening of cryptography controls." The freecrypto.org web site provides a form that citizens can fill out and have faxed or emailed to their respective government representatives. It also provides information and articles on the recently imposed cryptography restrictions. ---------------------------------------------------------------30----------- ---------------------------------------------------- The Electronic Frontier Foundation is one of the leading civil liberties organizations devoted to ensuring that the Internet remains the world's first truly global vehicle for free speech, and that the privacy and security of all on-line communication is preserved. Founded in 1990 as a nonprofit, public interest organization, EFF is based in San Francisco, California and maintains an extensive archive of information on free speech, privacy, and encryption policy at http://www.eff.org. Zero-Knowledge Systems Inc., http://www.zks.net, is a Canadian based software developer dedicated to providing cryptographic solutions for the privacy and security of Internet users. They will be launching their first product called Freedom(tm) in February 1999. For more information, contact: Nicola Dourambeis Alex Fowler, Marketing Associate Director of Public Affairs Zero-Knowledge Systems Inc. Electronic Frontier Foundation Tel. (514) 286-2636 ext. 222 Tel. (415) 436-9333 ext. 103 Email. nicola@zks.net Email. afowler@eff.org --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@philodox.com> Philodox Financial Technology Evangelism <http://www.philodox.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'