[116970] in Cypherpunks
[ZKS Press Release] Home Invasion Bill Drives U.S. Computer Users
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Robert Hettinga)
Tue Aug 24 15:35:51 1999
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Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 14:46:35 -0400
To: cryptography@c2.net, cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
From: Robert Hettinga <rah@shipwright.com>
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--- begin forwarded text
From: Dov Smith <dov@zks.net>
To: ZKS Press Releases <zks-press@zks.net>
Subject: [ZKS Press Release] Home Invasion Bill Drives U.S. Computer
Users to Canadian Privacy
Firm Zero-Knowledge Systems
Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 12:28:27 -0400
Sender: owner-zks-press@zks.net
Reply-To: press@zks.net
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Zero-Knowledge Systems Press Release, http://www.zks.net
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Zero-Knowledge Systems Press Release, http://www.zks.net
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For Immediate Release
HOME INVASION BILL DRIVES U.S. COMPUTER USERS
TO CANADIAN PRIVACY FIRM ZERO-KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS
--Zero-Knowledge Bombarded With Requests to Release
Freedom (tm) Following Disclosure of US 'Cyberspace
Electronic Security Act'--
Montreal--Aug. 23, 1999-- A US Justice Department proposal
to secretly enter its citizens' homes and disable security
features on their computers has driven tens of thousands
of Americans to request privacy protection from Canadian
privacy firm Zero-Knowledge Systems, the company announced
today.
"This has created a huge wave of concern among computer
users in the US," said Austin Hill, president of Zero-
Knowledge. "We've received emails, telephone messages
and thousands of Freedom beta signups from people looking
to secure their privacy. It's ironic that a Canadian
company is being flooded by requests to protect American
citizens from their own government."
Zero-Knowledge is currently beta-testing its much-anticipated
Freedom (tm) technology, which provides total privacy for
Web, email, newsgroup and chatroom activities by encrypting
data and rerouting it through independently-operated servers
scattered throughout the world. Heralded by many privacy
advocates as the only fully trustworthy privacy solution,
Freedom will be available commercially in fourth quarter 1999.
According to published reports, the Justice Department will
seek authorization through the Cyberspace Electronic Security
Act for FBI and local police to covertly enter private homes
and disable computer encryption programs. The law would
dramatically increase police powers by allowing agents to
tamper with personal computers in order to surreptitiously
monitor personal communications.
"It's disappointing that US consumers must look to other countries
for protection from a government they feel is overstepping its
investigative authority," said David Sobel, general counsel for
the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, DC. "The
United States should be in the forefront of privacy technology,
not trying to circumvent it."
Headquartered in Montreal, Zero-Knowledge benefits from
Canada's support for the development of strong privacy
solutions, in contrast with the US Government's stringent
controls on encryption and privacy technologies.
About Zero-Knowledge Systems, Inc.
Founded in 1997, Zero-Knowledge Systems <http://www.zeroknowledge.com>
is the first and only company providing a total privacy
solution for all Internet activities. Zero-Knowledge is
dedicated to protecting its customers' privacy and freedom
on the Internet through mathematics, cryptography and
source code. More information on this issue is available
at http://www.zeroknowledge.com/cesa.
(Freedom is a trademark of Zero-Knowledge Systems, Inc.)
Dov Smith
Director of Public Relations
514.286.2636 x 248
mailto:dov@zeroknowledge.com
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Robert A. Hettinga <mailto: rah@ibuc.com>
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
[predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
