Here is the text of a letter I sent to Leahy supporting the "Encrypted Communications Privacy Act of 1996" being introduced today. I urge everyone to check out the bill (should be online on thomas.loc.gov sometime soon); on balance, I think the bill is a huge step forward and deserves support. -matt Matt Blaze, Ph.D. 600 Mountain Avenue Murray Hill, NJ 07974 March 1, 1996 Hon. Patrick Leahy United States Senate Dear Senator Leahy: Thank you for introducing the Encrypted Communications Privacy Act of 1996. As a member of the computer security and cryptology research community, I have observed firsthand the deleterious effect that the current regulations governing the use and export of cryptography are having on our country's ability to develop a reliable and trustworthy information infrastructure. Your bill takes an important first step toward creating regulations that reflect the modern realities of this increasingly critical technology. Unlike previous government encryption initiatives such as the technically-flawed and unworkable ``Clipper'' chip, your bill re-affirms the role of the marketplace in providing ordinary citizens and businesses with a full range of choices for securing their private information. In particular, by freeing mass-market cryptographic software and hardware from the burdensome export controls that govern the international arms trade, the bill will help the American software industry compete, for the first time, in the international market for high-quality security products. Law enforcement need not fear the widespread availability of encryption; indeed, they should welcome and promote it. Encryption thwarts electronic predators by preventing unauthorized access to private data and computer systems, and the use of strong cryptography to protect computer networks is becoming as natural and necessary as the use of locks and burglar alarms to protect our homes and businesses. While criminals, too, might occasionally derive some advantage from the use of cryptography, the benefits of widely-available encryption technology overwhelmingly favor the honest user. By recognizing that those who hold decryption keys on behalf of others are in a special position of trust, your bill is respectful of the privacy of law-abiding citizens without introducing impediments to the government's ability to investigate and prevent crime. I have also examined the new provision designed to discourage the use of cryptography by criminals in the furtherance of a felony, and hope to see your carefully-worded language reinforced by a narrow interpretation in the courts, consistent with your intent. Again, thank you for your continued leadership in this area, and I look forward to doing whatever I can to help you bring encryption regulations in line with the fast-changing reality of this emerging technology. Sincerely, (s) Matt Blaze