How the FBI/NSA forces can further twist SAFE

Declan McCullagh declan at well.com
Thu Sep 25 15:27:15 PDT 1997



At 11:06 -0700 9/25/97, Brock N. Meeks wrote, quoting me:
>> Underlying all this is the threat of a presidential veto. What pro-crypto
>> legislation can survive it? That will give the FBI/NSA more leverage when
>> pushing for their kind of "compromise." Especially because of the slothful
>> speed of the Senate, the process will take close to a year, probably.
>
>Yeah, well, except that there isn't a year left for this Congress.  If it
>doesn't get done before the next recess (in which we don't see Congress
>again until it becomes teh 106th, next year) the slate is wiped clean and
>we start from ground zero.

That's not right. The 106th Congress doesn't begin until January //1999//,
after the elections. The slate is not wiped clean in 1998; we don't start
from ground zero. Bills will carry over to next year when Congress returns
in January for the second session of the 105th.

That's why it may take close to a year -- perhaps until next summer -- for
Congress to finish compromising away your rights to use whatever encryption
software you like.

-Declan


-------------------------
Declan McCullagh
Time Inc.
The Netly News Network
Washington Correspondent
http://netlynews.com/








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