FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Nikki Draper (415) 322-3778 Computer Public Advocacy Group To Examine FBI Wiretap Scheme at October Annual Meeting. Palo Alto, Calif., October 1, 1992 -- Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), the national public interest organization based here, will take an in-depth look at its recent suit against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) during CPSR's 1992 Annual Meeting, October 17th and 18th at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. CPSR Legal Counsel, David Sobel, will talk about the FBI suit for the first time since it was filed and moderate a panel discussion on the politics of cryptography at the annual meeting. The CPSR annual meeting is a provactive two-day conference that addresses critical issues facing society as a result of information technology. CPSR filed suit against the FBI in September, after the Bureau failed to make public documents that would justify the need for its new wiretap proposal. The FBI proposal would redesign the telephone network to make wiretapping easier. Recognizing the importance of cryptography policy, CPSR catalyzed a national debate earlier this year, as to whether or not the FBI and National Security Agency (NSA) should be involved in setting the technical standards for the computer and communications industry. The panel discussion will include a screening and discussion of film clips from the movie, Sneakers. Panelists include, Joan Feigenbaum, Technical Staff, Computing Principles Research, ATT Bell Labs, John Gilmore, founder of Cygnus Support, and Dave Banisar, CPSR Policy Analyst. CPSR's annual meeting will bring together computer scientists from across the country to examine the relationship between politics and technology. Other topics include: * Teledemocracy & Citizen Participation: Beyond the Electronic Town Meeting, This session is an election year look at the dangers and the opportunites of electronic democracy. Speaker, Susan G. Hadden, professor in the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin, an expert on telecommunications and citizen participation. * Everything's Digital! Media Convergence: Hope, Hype or Hell? This session examines the social implications of multimedia convergence which is the merging of computer, telephone, and video technology. Panel discussion with David Bunnell, Editor, New Media, Denise Caruso, Editor, Digital Media, and Howard Rheingold, Whole Earth Review * Envisioning Technology Policy in a Democratic Society; A panel of technologists looks at the development of American technology policy. Panelists include, Gary Chapman, The 21st Century Project, Judy Stern, CPSR/Berkeley, Claire Zvanski, SEIU Local 790. President of Interval Research, Dave Liddle, will be the keynote speaker at CPSR's awards banquet Saturday evening. Liddle will be speaking on the Computing in the 21st Century. IBM researcher, Barbara Simons will be presented with the 1992 Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility in Computing. Founded in 1981, CPSR is a national, non-profit, public interest organization of computer scientists and other professionals concerned with the impact of computer technology on society. With offices in Washington, D.C. and Boston, CPSR's members provide the public and policy makers with expert testimony and assessments on the power, promise, and limitations of computer technology. For more information about CPSR call 415-322-3778 or send email to cpsr@csli.stanford.edu.