Annoucement for Australian Crypto Radio Documentary

[Matthew Gream]

Largely of interest to the Australian -- can we be counted on one
hand ? :-) -- audience.

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	 *PRESS RELEASE* *PRESS RELEASE* *PRESS RELEASE*
                       tales from the crypt
         ===============================================


           `There's nothing new about cryptography' ...
                           Bill Caelli.


     ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Radio National
               `Radio Eye -- Documentary Features'
                  Sunday Night, June 12th 8:20pm


                         ... presents ...


                     ``TALES FROM THE CRYPT''

             Rosie Cross <rx1 at sydgate.apana.org.au> &
                Matthew Gream <M.Gream at uts.edu.au>
                      (Mixed by John Jacobs)
                    (Sounds by Rob Joyner Jnr)


`Cryptography   is  a  very   political  technology'  says  Phil
Zimmermann,  author  of  Pretty Good  Privacy  (PGP), a computer
software  program  to  scramble  and  protect  your  most  vital
electronic  messages.  Complex algorithms such  as those used in
PGP  now give individuals the ability to carry out conversations
locked  away  from  the prying eyes  of  the most determined Law
Enforcement and National Security Agencies.

Fearing  a widespread loss of  effectiveness, these agencies had
their  wishes granted last year  with the US Governments release
of  the electronic `Clipper Chip'.  This insidious device, to be
planted  in  phones and facsimiles,  may scramble voice and data
between  both  ends of a connection,  but contains a backdoor so
these agencies can retain their surveillance edge.

Despite  assurances  by  the Government  and  proponents  of the
scheme  such  as  leading  cryptographer  Dorothy  Denning,  the
reaction  has  been  clearly negative  as  evidenced by echos of
dissent  across cypherspace. These assurances are easily refuted
by  John  Perry Barlow from  the  Electronic Frontier Foundation
(EFF)   and  Dave  Banisar  from   the  now  Electronic  Privacy
Information  Centre  (EPIC)  [*], representing  two  of the most
active groups opposing Clipper.

Viewed   from  the  Australian   perspective,  Jennifer  Seberry
describes  the  Clipper  proposal as  applying  `an atomic bomb,
where a drop of ointment is needed' and Trudi McIntosh describes
a  Government  looking on `with  interest'.  To Roger Clarke, an
Australian  expert  on  privacy  issues  and  new  technologies,
Clipper  seems  unlikely, but he  warns about complacency in his
assessment  of  the  possible  ramifications  for individuals in
electronic  societies  where  systematic  surveillance  and mass
matching could serve as a tool of the totalitarian state.

In  protecting ourselves from an  Orwellian society, the need to
extend  the physical concepts of  anonymity into the information
world  become of increasing importance.  The work of David Chaum
towards  Digital  Cash, and truly  anonymous payment systems can
steer the information superhighways past the military-industrial
complex.

In  the  end, the issue  isn't  about `cryptography', it's about
fundamental   rights  to  privacy  and  freedom  from  arbitrary
intrusion by an increasingly hostile state.

 ---

[*]    Formally   with   Computer   Professionals   for   Social
Responsibility (CPSR)


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-- 
Matthew Gream
Consent Technologies
Sydney, (02) 821-2043
M.Gream at uts.edu.au