At 3:48 AM 8/18/95, Rich Salz wrote:

Just heard on the 11:30pm NPR news update. The Clinton Administration has changed the crypto export policy. You will now be allowed to export strong crypto, provided it is a key escrow system. The reporter (Dan Charles?) said something like anyone can hold the keys, as long as they will be made avail when presented with a court order. He also said, US citizens will still be able to use strong crypto without key escrow internally. Terrorists and drug pushers were given as "reasons."

And I want to formally announce "Tim's Sort of Good Escrow Service." I accept keys, thus meeting Our Leader's dictum, but can't really say the keys will be retrievable, as my floppies often get warped from sitting in the sun. Hey, if "anyone can hold the keys".... Somehow I doubt this. I suspect that any mandatory GAK key escrow system will involve all sorts of hoops which must be jumped through, all sorts of approvals which must be gotten, etc. My neighbor has agreed to be the escrow agent for my keys. He doesn't know anything about computers, so he's taking my word that the things I give him every couple of months are disks. He figures that if the Justice Department ever asks for them, he'll point to the dusty box on the floor of his garage and say, "There they be." --Tim May ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net (Got net?) | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero 408-728-0152 | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Corralitos, CA | black markets, collapse of governments. Higher Power: 2^756839 | Public Key: PGP and MailSafe available. "National borders are just speed bumps on the information superhighway."