[87084] in Cypherpunks
A maybe workable idea
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Alan Olsen)
Thu Sep 25 15:04:35 1997
Date: Thu, 25 Sep 1997 10:56:38 -0700
To: cypherpunks@algebra.com
From: Alan Olsen <alano@teleport.com>
Reply-To: Alan Olsen <alano@teleport.com>
I am not certain about how well this would work. I am certain that the LEA
community would try and compromise or stop it at some point.
The idea is to get the ACLU or some other group with some name recognition
in the software/privacy/free-speech realm to sponsor a program to certify
programs with crypto as GAK-free. I think that having software with a big
yellow sticker stating "certified not to contain Government backdoors or
other peepholes into your data" would have a useful effect on the buying
public.
I wonder if a "truth in labeling" law could be pushed through... Imagine a
big sticker on products that say "Government agencies can read files
created by this product without your knowledge".
Probably a pipe dream. I can see a number of problems with it. Microsoft
would bully their way into getting the cert GAKed or not. The FBI would
probably put pressure on the retail chains to avoid products pushing
political messages such as freedom from Government intrusion from being sold.
It would be worth a try at least...
