On 14 Jan 1997, Nelson Minar wrote:

shamrock@netcom.com (Lucky Green) writes:

...

Commercial data security software of any kind, regardless if it uses crypto or not, is however prohibited from being distributed via the Internet or being exported by any other means.

I can at least vaguely understand the rationale behind restricting the export of cryptography. But I don't even begin to comprehend restricting the export of data security software. What is going on here? Whose idea is this, what is the agenda?

Is the US government really prepared to take on all the producers of virus protection software? Symantec and IBM are pretty big players to upset. And they don't even have the "drug dealers and terrorists" bugbear to defend this particular export restriction.

In my more cynical mood I'm afraid that what's going on is the US government is trying to protect its capability to wage information warfare. Could they get away with this?

A cynical person might think that this gives the government one more way to strongarm companies which might sell non-GAK encryption products. "Sure, I can ok the export of your new anti-virus software. Say, how's that crypto plug-in your working on?"