This letter that John Gilmore has forwarded to us provides a vignette into why not just seditious plotters and other tentacles need crypto:
From: "Brock N. Meeks" <brock@well.sf.ca.us> Subject: This guy needs help ... There's an attorney in Dallas that needs help: Your help. Crypto help. ... Albert's client is an international organization of linguists. They specialize in taking unwritten languages and translating them to written words. They are a clean, non-political group and they want to stay that way. Trouble is, Albert told me, there are governments, both U.S. and foreign, that want to tap this organization's files to access the "raw intelligence" that their field personnel often send in.
This intelligence is nothing more than the certain problems they might be having with the in-country governments. But they don't want prying eyes to be poking into their files, using whatever they send in against other groups.
Similarly, they don't want their translation notes, files, used by intelligence agencies against the people they are working with for translation.
Wanna bet that such a group forced to use "Clipper," "Capstone," "Tessera," and other approved crypto tools would have their communciations opened and read by various "interested" agencies? * attorney-client privilege in an era of networked offices will be broken unless strong crypto is available (ditto for psychiatrist-patient contacts, sensitive medical records, etc.) * groups that have contacts outside the U.S. (as in the case Brock Meeks reports on) have always evoked the interest of the CIA and other agencies...without strong crypto, their communcations will be even more easily accessible if Digital Telephony II passes. Most of you understand these points, but it bears repeating that individuals and groups from many political points of view will be affected by the "transparent society" of Clipper, Capstone, Tessera, and Digital Telephony. --Tim May -- .......................................................................... Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@netcom.com | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-688-5409 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, W.A.S.T.E.: Aptos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^859433 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."