A pattern emerges...
Consider the DMCA (US law) as compared to the Terrorism Act of 2000 (UK law). Both make it effectively illegal for ordinary citizens to own, use, or distribute any software capable of performing decrypts by exploiting a weak cryptographic system. The US and UK, not coincidentally, are the two governments with the largest known investments in SIGINT -- the famous Echelon System. If people started using strong cryptographic systems, Echelon would be effectively useless. Therefore it is in the best interests of these two governments to make weak cryptographic systems the norm insofar as they are able. This is possible by providing an additional layer of legal protection to users of weak cryptographic systems -- with software capable of exploiting such weaknesses effectively illegal to own or use, the developers of such products have drastically reduced incentive to develop strong cryptographic systems to replace them. The DMCA and the Terrorism Act appear to provide exactly such laws. What has been passed recently by the other signatories to the UKUSA agreement that created Echelon? Bear --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cryptography Mailing List Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to majordomo@wasabisystems.com
Well, Australia is also looking at (and probably soon to pass) similarly draconian legislation. The EFA is Electronic Frontiers Australia -- see http://www.efa.org.au/Campaigns/cybercrime.html
EFA lodged a submission with the Inquiry into The Law Enforcement Implications of New Technology being conducted by the Joint Committee on the National Crime Authority. EFA is very concerned about proposals put forward by several law enforcement agencies for legislation to require Australian ISPs to retain transaction logs of all user activities. We consider the monitoring or data warehousing of Internet traffic or content on a mass scale to be highly privacy-invasive and an infringement of the human rights of Internet users. This proposal, if not strongly opposed by Internet users, is likely to foreshadow a move towards a Bill similar to the draconian Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill (R.I.P.) recently passed in the U.K. The submission will be made available on EFA's website as soon as the Committee has granted permission for it to be made publicly available (this is normal prodecure in accord with Parliamentary inquiry rules/procedures). The Committee's report is likely to be tabled in the Winter sittings of Parliament.
Greg. At 04:35 PM 7/29/2001 -0700, Ray Dillinger wrote:
The DMCA and the Terrorism Act appear to provide exactly such laws. What has been passed recently by the other signatories to the UKUSA agreement that created Echelon?
Greg Rose INTERNET: ggr@qualcomm.com Qualcomm Australia VOICE: +61-2-9817 4188 FAX: +61-2-9817 5199 Level 3, 230 Victoria Road, http://people.qualcomm.com/ggr/ Gladesville NSW 2111 232B EC8F 44C6 C853 D68F E107 E6BF CD2F 1081 A37C --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cryptography Mailing List Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to majordomo@wasabisystems.com
participants (2)
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Greg Rose -
Ray Dillinger