At 09:41 PM 7/19/96 +0100, Jerome Thorel wrote:

OECD FAILS TO ACT ON KEY-ESCROW ENCRYPTION; THE US ACCUSED OF "POLICY LAUNDERING"

The Paris-based OECD, the 24-members club of industrialised nations, has failed to take a step towards international recongnition of key-escrow encryption. The meeting of June 26-28 in Paris, scheduled to take a firm decision about the possibility of law enforcement agencies to read electronic mail of private individuals and corporations, didn't succeed to act on a compromise. The OECD's general secretary has no special power to draw regulations and must find a common policy on the matter. [deleted]

Sources said the US were willing to "use" the OECD as a "policy laundering" machine : to pressure the organisation in order to have the key escrow policy approved by the 24 countries. US intelligence officials would have been using it as a political weapon at home, where Congress, public-interests groups and industry pressure groups are on the verge to act against any key-escrow policy.

Lemme see... The Europeans are now complaining about the US government pushing key escrow on them? So where did that "emerging consensus" go?!? Jim Bell jimbell@pacifier.com