[117249] in Cypherpunks
Re: ACTION ALERT: Crypto Legislation
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Tim May)
Sun Aug 29 23:15:36 1999
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In-Reply-To: <19990829174311.PWVA15925@alaptop.hotwired.com>
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Date: Sun, 29 Aug 1999 19:57:21 -0700
To: cypherpunks@cyberpass.net
From: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
Reply-To: Tim May <tcmay@got.net>
At 10:40 AM -0700 1999-08-29, Declan McCullagh wrote:
>And on SAFE's likely negative impact on the Bernstein case... Remember, any
>legislation that lets individuals post crypto freely probably wouldn't
>survive a presidental veto. Thus the inevitable and thoroughly unpleasant
>slide towards "compromise" begins... I think Solveig also mentioned some of
>this in her policy analysis at cato.org. --Declan
And I'm sure many of us can say "I told you so" about this bill.
The worst fears of many of us, as long ago as _years_ ago (I forget how
many) are now being realized. And with nothing interesting to gain.
After all, the most interesting crypto for our purposes is coming out of
Canada (or some Caribbean island if Austin Hill realizes that Canada is
just a pawn of the U.S.). The "Freedom" product, when it is released, will
give users the power to become true Horsemen.
Issues of what America OnLine is allowed by General Janet Reno to build
into Netscape Navigator are too uninteresting to even think about.
So, we get little of interest to us. But we lose a lot, by giving the Fedz
substantial powers to make certain _forms_ of speech (in an encrypted
language) the basis for a conviction.
As to "Anonymous" and his point:
"In practice, this is just a sop to law enforcement. It is meaningless.
It can't be used unless you have already been convicted for a felony."
Well, there are many felonies. Some of them many of us commit on a daily
basis. And, yes, maybe a product like "Freedom" will let us "knowingly and
willingly" use crypto to hide these felonies.
Don't forget that they only finally put Al Capone away on the income tax
evasion charges, not the murders and other criminal acts he had committed
or ordered.
Lots and lots of things are now felonies. The U.S. Code goes on for
thousands of pages. I don't know about Anonymous, but I am committing
felonies every week. (No, I won't say what they are. Look into the laws
regarding dumping trash in a national park for an example....)
--Tim May
Don't tread on me.
---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:----
Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money,
ComSec 3DES: 831-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero
W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets,
"Cyphernomicon" | black markets, collapse of governments.
