Data encryption: New stuff and links
On the 31st of December, 1998 US Commerce Department released new regulations implementing looser guidelines for cryptography exports: http://jya.com/bxa123198.txt
The new rules eliminate many restrictions on selling data scrambling products to subsidiaries of US corporations. In addition, they relax controls for encryption products to health and medical organizations in 44 countries for almost all foreign subsidiaries of US companies.
List of countries: http://www.bxa.doc.gov/factsheets/EncCountryList.htm According to the Center for Democracy and Technology’s analysis of the regulations, the plan helps big companies while still ignoring the concerns of individual or small business users.
The policy does not address the needs of individuals online, human rights groups, or other noncommercial users. the analysis stated. It continues to use export controls as a club to force the adoption of risky ‘key recovery’ systems without addressing the privacy concerns raised by government (any government) access to data. The governments that are the most egregious at “reviewing” encrypted data are: United States, North Korea, China, and France.
News reports (news items are taken off the Web relatively quickly, and may be gone by the time you look for them):
http://www.news.com/News/Item/Textonly/0,25,30414,00.html
http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/cte066.htm
http://www.andovernews.com/cgi-bin/news_story.pl?108205
