On 8 Jul 96 at 9:20, Timothy C. May wrote: [..]

A human-based surveillance state is very expensive, even by the standards of modern America and its bloated government. The recent example of the DDR's "Staasi" provides an example. Hard to hide the extent of the surveillance when so many people are involved.

Very true, but many totalitarian countries don't try to hide it. Q: are surveillance tools (sophisticated analysys and search engines, miniature cameras and microphones and other electronics) under the same countrols as crypto? de facto controls or on paper only? It would seem that 'emerging democracies' in the East Bloc can obtain sophisticated Western tech to strengthen and hide surveillance systems (perhaps in ways that even J.Edgard Hoover would have found repulsive, if that was possible). I wonder if anyone has any stats about foreign countries or orgs purchasing such equipment. Yet another arg for liberal crypto-export rules, perhaps. Rob. --- No-frills sig. Befriend my mail filter by sending a message with the subject "send help" Key-ID: 5D3F2E99 1996/04/22 wlkngowl@unix.asb.com (root@magneto) AB1F4831 1993/05/10 Deranged Mutant <wlkngowl@unix.asb.com> Send a message with the subject "send pgp-key" for a copy of my key.