Two convicted in U.K. for refusal to decrypt data

[Adam Funk]

On 2009-08-13, David SMITH wrote:

> So the people who come on gnupg-users asking for help because they've
> forgotten their passphrase or accidentally deleted their ~/.gnupg
> directory don't exist?
>
> I guess that's a new way of replying to them: "You don't exist".
>
> Not forgetting the possibility of malicious intentions - trying to  
> frame
> someone by putting encrypted data onto someone's computer and tipping
> off the authorities.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,2073974,00.htm

  In a stunt organised by the civil liberties group Stand, The Home
  Secretary Jack Straw was sent details to a crime Sunday that could
  earn him up to two years in prison if the controversial e-commerce
  bill were made law.
  ...
  According to Stand an encrypted email was sent to Mr Straw Sunday
  afternoon containing a confession to a real crime. The key to
  decrypt the message will be in Mr Straw's name. Stand will tip off
  the Metropolitan Commissioner of Police Monday, informing him that
  Mr Straw has important information about a crime.

  If the e-commerce bill were in place, Straw would be required to
  hand over the decryption key or face up to two years in prison. "In
  principle, under the bill, Jack Straw would have to prove he never
  had the key in the first place. We are hoping this will help him
  understand that this is unworkable, an intolerable reversal of the
  burden of proof and against the Human Rights Act," Says Malcolm
  Hutty, spokesman for Stand.

(September 1999)


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