Interesting People mailing list archives
Wash. Post article on Clipper 2/5/94 -- comment on
From: David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 1994 14:39:51 -0500
Date: Sat, 05 Feb 94 12:54:02 EST From: Kevin Curran <CURRAN%JHUHYG.BITNET () JHUVM HCF JHU EDU> Subject: Wash. Post article on Clipper 2/5/94 Please post to "interesting People" mailing list if you deem appropriate. David - I am reading today's page one story on the Washington Post by John Mintz & John Schwartz entitled 'Clinton Backs Security Agencies on Computer Eavesdropping'. Hopefully a full copy of this will make it to the interesting-people mailing list. Getting this on the front page is a good start though. I think the only way Clinton would back down from this would be if there was an outcry from the public. But with many people still not on the information highway yet and more concern and interest with ice-skating scandals, I'm afraid it's not on the front burner yet. The public needs to be educated on this before it's too late. Certainly one wouldn't let anyone search their home without probable cause and a warrant. Yet today much private data (eg credit histories, medical histories etc.) gets in the hands legally of people should have no business with it and I fear this may increase in the future. It's very frightening but not as frightening as a populace that is uninformed. Now to get back to the Post article. John - I'm wondering if you could clarify something in the article. Let me quote a short paragraph: "Administration officials said that U.S. firms can buy powerful encryption equipment that does not contain the Clipper chip if they choose, but a White House statement said officials reserve the right to 'restrict access' to such technology in the future." Two key questions arise: 1) Is there a date in the future after which all firms would be mandated to buy the Clipper technology? 2) Would those firms who bought non-Clipper encryption devices be allowed to keep them or be forced retroactively to adapt to Clipper?
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- Wash. Post article on Clipper 2/5/94 -- comment on David Farber (Feb 05)