CDR: Re: Zero Knowledge changes business model (press release)

[Tim May]

The following comments are meant as a _general_ comment on "how 
things are," not as any insinuation that ZKS is in league with the 
bad guys.


At 5:59 PM -0500 11/1/00, Adam Shostack wrote:
>
>As to the hypothetical that Tim will ask, we'll work very hard to
>prevent laws requiring key escrow from coming into being.  We spend
>time and energy maintaining relations with law enforcement in a lot of
>places, explaining to them why we don't build in back doors.  And,
>suprisingly, when you go and talk to them, rather than hissing and
>shouting, they listen.

Surprisingly?

Four words: "Good cop, bad cop."

Good cop: "We are interested in listening to you."

Bad cop: "We could just have you run over in your parking lot one night."

(Said to Jim Bidzos by an NSA guy when Bidzos said he would not 
comply with NSA wishes that RSADSI systems be weakened. This was 
relayed to me personally by Jim, many years ago, and he gave me 
permission to recount it to the Cypherpunks list. The NSA folks did 
not dispute that the words were said.)

Good cop: "We seek cooperation with industry."

Bad cop: "Civil forfeiture, sedition, espionage, 20 years in prison."

Good cop: "Voluntary standards."

Bad cop: "ITAR, crypto in a crime laws, Clipper."

Good cop: "We believe in civil rights."

Bad cop: "Drug laws, no knock raids, nightsticks, Diallo, raids in 
Seattle, build more prisons."

Good cop: "The law applies to everyone."

Bad cop: "Well it depends on what the definition of "is" is."


I think ZKS is spending way too much time talking to the "good cops" 
and not nearly enough time thinking about what happens when the RCMP 
comes to shut them down when Freedom is used as we expect it to be.

--Tim May
-- 
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May              | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
ComSec 3DES:   831-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA  | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
"Cyphernomicon"             | black markets, collapse of governments.