tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May) writes: : > It would be interesting for those in other jurisdictions to comment about : > how *their* rulers might view anonymous communications and strong crypto. : : I heartily agree with Duncan here! There has been very little said by : the good residents of France, Germany, Sweden, Holland, Italy, etc. : about just what the crypto-related laws of their countries are. [..] : So, I appreciate that some of our European readers may be tired of : hearing about U.S. policy or proposed laws, but the proper solution is : _competing speech_. That is, give us something new to talk about. Tell : us about what *your* country is doing. Tell us about any laws limiting : what kind of modems can be hooked up to your PTTs, as a concrete : example. Tell us about the raids on BBSs in Italy. Tell us about the : rumor that the Netherlands plans to ban unapproved crypto. There was a draft for a proposal for a law that would have outlawed crypto in the Netherlands. It would only be legal to use crypto if you had deposited the KEYs and if you had received a license. The use, trade and possesion of crypto was forbidden. It would be illegal (to dutch law) to have cryptosoftware available at some ftp-site (somewhere in the world) that would be accesable from the Netherlands (really!). (laws and enforcement of those laws are two -totally- different things in Holland :)) The draft was revoked, due to the huge amount of protest', the good thing is that we are in the proces of founding the dutch equivelant of the EFF: "de db.nl". -- Some loose thoughts any comments ? -- There are basicly four scenario's that a state can follow to regulate crypto: - outlaw it totally This was the path Holland choose briefly. - key depositing This is what the US is trying to do with Clipper et al. - try to develop a standart This is what the US did with DES and is trying to do now with Clipper. - do nothing The most prosperous scenario. Crypto use will boom, but lawenforcement agencies will be deprived from a useful tool, they can't bug phones any more. That will hinder their investigations but advancements in hardware/software could balance that: it is more easy to localise phonecalls, bugging equipment has become smaller and more powerful. Lawenforcement agencies have computerised databases that can link fingerprints, names etc in near "real-time". Large scale use of crypto could balance out some of the recent advancements in information technology that have given them a clear edge. -- Exit! Stage Left. Alex de Joode <usura@vox.hacktic.nl>