Is there something authoritarians want, that we don't mind them having, for which crypto would be an enabling technology? Some of them _might_ be interested in having better encryption for TV channels so that kids can't watch a NotForKids channel (though many of them might rather ban it outright) or so they can easily control whether their kids get to watch MTV even though the V-Chip doesn't have a NoisyKidsMusic bit. Perhaps they'd enjoy having reputation systems available, so they can easily filter out politically incorrect material, or do a thumbs-down on things they disapprove of, or let the Baptists and Catholics and Anti-Baptists all have their own convenient ratings.

MTV has a pretty funny parody of the V-chip concept that they have run on occasion. They are advertising that kids should get the MTV-chip which prevents parents from watching MTV while the kids are at school. Their slogan is "keep mind control at home where it belongs". (I find it interesting that they have an anti-censorship stance, yet censor many of their videos. Kind of hypocritical...) | Minister of Forced Caffinization in the DNRC | alano@teleport.com | |"The moral PGP Diffie taught Zimmerman unites | Disclaimer: | |all mankind free in one-key-stenography-privacy!"| Ignore the man | | -- PGP 2.6.2 key available on request -- | behind the keyboard.| | http://www.teleport.com/~alano | <fnord> |