(ALERT) Senators who introduce new crypto bill need support (5/14/96)
Voters Telecommunications Watch
shabbir at vtw.org
Wed May 15 04:00:39 PDT 1996
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Campaign for Secure Communications Online
May 13, 1996
BI-PARTISAN SENATORS INTRODUCE NEW CRYPTO BILL
S.1726 PROMISES TO FREE ENCRYPTION FROM
COLD WAR REGULATORY STRANGLEHOLD
Please widely redistribute this document with this banner intact
until June 15, 1996
________________________________________________________________________
CONTENTS
The Latest News
What You Can Do Now
Crypto Factoid
Chronology of Crypto Export Liberalization Bill
For More Information
________________________________________________________________________
THE LATEST NEWS
In an effort to improve privacy and security on the Internet, a bi-partisan
group of legislators recently introduced a bill to encourage the widespread
availability of strong, easy-to-use encryption technologies. The bill,
known as the Promotion of Commerce Online in the Digital Era (Pro-CODE) act
of 1996 (S. 1726), would relax Cold War era export controls which have
constrained the development and use of strong privacy and security technologies.
Encryption is one of the technologies that will allow us to visualize a secure
Internet, an Internet useful for conducting all sorts of private business
from communicating with one's doctor, loved one, or spouse, to checking
one's bank balance.
S.1726 is sponsored by Senators Burns (R-MT), Leahy (D-VT), Pressler (R-SD),
Wyden (D-OR), Ashcroft (R-MO), Dole (R-KS), Faircloth (R-NC), McCain (R-AZ),
and Murray (D-WA).
The Pro-CODE Act resolves to:
1. Allow for the *unrestricted* export of "mass-market" or "public-domain"
encryption programs, including such products as Pretty Good Privacy and
popular World Wide Web browsers.
2. Requires the Secretary of Commerce to allow the less restricted export
of other encryption technologies if products of similar strength are
generally available outside the United States, roughly up to DES
strength.
3. Prohibits the federal government from imposing mandatory key-escrow
encryption policies on the domestic market and limiting the authority
of the Secretary of Commerce to set standards for encryption products.
A copy of the legislation can be found at each of the WWW sites listed at
the bottom in the "For More Information" Section.
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WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
As more and more people come online, the need for - and lack of -
strong privacy and security is becoming increasingly critical. This
legislation represents an important step towards ensuring that the
Internet develops into a secure, trusted medium for political,
commercial, and private speech.
The co-sponsors of S. 1726 have taken a political risk and are challenging
the White House, the NSA (National Security Agency, and the FBI (Federal
Bureau of Investigation) in a policy battle to protect your privacy. They
need your support.
Please familiarize yourself with the bill (pointers to background
information are listed below), and then take a moment to call, write, or
fax the sponsors of the bill and thank them for their leadership on this
issue.
1. Call/Fax/Email Senate sponsors and thank them
P ST Name and Address Phone Fax
= == ======================== ============== ==============
R MT Burns, Conrad R. 1-202-224-2644 1-202-224-8594
conrad_burns at burns.senate.gov
D VT Leahy, Patrick J. 1-202-224-4242 1-202-224-3595
senator_leahy at leahy.senate.gov
R SD Pressler, Larry 1-202-224-5842 1-202-224-1259
larry_pressler at pressler.senate.gov
D OR Wyden, Ron 1-202-224-5244 1-202-228-2717
R MO Ashcroft, John 1-202-224-6154 na
john_ashcroft at ashcroft.senate.gov
R KS Dole, Robert 1-202-224-6521 1-202-228-1245
R NC Faircloth, D. M. 1-202-224-3154 1-202-224-7406
senator at faircloth.senate.gov
R AZ McCain, John 1-202-224-2235 1-202-224-2862
senator_mccain at mccain.senate.gov
D WA Murray, Patty 1-202-224-2621 1-202-224-0238
senator_murray at murray.senate.gov
2. Use sample communication
SAMPLE PHONE CALL
You:<ring ring>
Sen:Hello, Senator Mojo's office!
You:Hi, I'd like to thank the Senator for helping to introduce
legislation to lift the export controls on encryption. I won't
use Clipper and don't think there's enough strong encryption on
the Internet to protect my messages.
Strong, non-Clipper encryption is needed to secure
communications with my doctor, bank, spouse, and attorney.
Sen:Ok, thanks!<click>
3. Let VTW know what sort of response you got
Just drop us a line at vtw at vtw.org and let us know how your phone
call went!
4. Forward this to your friends and colleagues. Unlike the debate over
free speech, many netizens still do not know much about the issues of
security and privacy on the Internet. Take the time to explain to
a friend why security on the Internet is important.
________________________________________________________________________
CRYPTO FACTOID
According to a 1993 study of encryption products worldwide, there are
193 products in 18 countries overseas that are sold with DES-strength
encryption built into them.
American companies and American programmers are today restricted from
selling products with DES-strength encryption to the overseas market,
or even distributing them domestically on the Internet.
It is becoming extremely difficult for American companies to compete
in the global market against competitors who do not labor under such
restrictions.
Source:
Joint study with Dr. Lance Hoffman, Trusted Information Systems
(http://www.tis.com), and the Software Publishers Association
(http://www.spa.org). Study updated December 1995 and is available at
http://www.tis.com/crypto/survey.html.
________________________________________________________________________
CHRONOLOGY OF THE 1996 CRYPTO BILLS
5/2/96
Bi-partisan group of Senators introduce Pro-CODE Act, which would free
public-domain encryption software (such as PGP) for export, free much
commercial encryption for export, and reduce the government's ability to
push Clipper proposals down the throats of an unwilling public. Original
sponsors include: Senators Burns (R-MT), Dole (R-KS), Faircloth (R-NC),
Leahy (D-VT), Murray (D-WA), Pressler (R-SD), and Wyden (D-OR).
3/5/96
Sen. Leahy (D-VT) and Rep. Goodlatte (R-VA) announce encryption bills
(S.1587/H.R.3011) that significantly relax export restrictions on products
with encryption functionality in them, as well as free public domain software
such as PGP (Pretty Good Privacy).
________________________________________________________________________
FOR MORE INFORMATION
There are many excellent resources online to get up to speed on crypto
including the following WWW sites:
www.privacy.org www.crypto.com www.eff.org
www.cdt.org www.epic.org www.vtw.org
Please visit them often.
Several organizations are working hard to support your right to have access
to strong, effective encryption. We have all collaborated on this alert,
funneling it through a single editor. Please address any press queries
DIRECTLY to the organizations directly. The editors *do not* speak for
the coalition as a whole. Here is an alphabetical list of the coalition
members:
American Civil Liberties Union Center for Democracy and Technology
Computer Professionals for Electronic Frontier Foundation
Social Responsibility HotWired / Wired Magazine
Electronic Privacy Information
Center
People for the American Way *Voters Telecommunications Watch
*Editors
________________________________________________________________________
End alert
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