[6123] in cryptography@c2.net mail archive
Re: Cryptic Crypto Rules Uncloaked
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Steven M. Bellovin)
Tue Nov 23 22:36:32 1999
From: "Steven M. Bellovin" <smb@research.att.com>
To: "P.J. Ponder" <ponder@freenet.tlh.fl.us>
Cc: cryptography@c2.net
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Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 21:38:05 -0500
Message-Id: <19991124023810.719D741F16@SIGABA.research.att.com>
In message <Pine.OSF.3.96.991123205851.18797B-100000@fn3.freenet.tlh.fl.us>, "P
.J. Ponder" writes:
>
> Maybe I'm missing something here, but don't representatives of almost all
> countries shop regularly in New York, Miami, L.A., etc., where they have
> missions and embassies and that sort of thing? Does anyone suppose the
> clerks in retail stores are even going to know about, let alone help
> enforce, export rules on commercial software products? This seems pretty
> stupid, or naive, at least. Maybe the stuff won't be shipped directly
> there, but what's the point if you can buy it over the counter and then
> send it yourself?
A
fair number of years ago, I was in D.C. and wanted to buy some topographic maps.
The US Geological Survey had a sales office there at the time, in (as I recall)
the Dept. of Commerce building. There was a posted sign requesting foreign
citizens to identify themselves before purchasing any maps. I have no idea
how they enforced it...
As for your main point, that the crypto restrictions far antedate Freeh --
yes, that's true, but it's arguably beside the point; in recent years, the
push for retaining and even strengthening the restrictions has come from the
FBI, not the NSA and certainly not the CIA.
--Steve Bellovin
