US Plans for Decryption Orders

[Pete Chown]

Peter Mitchell wrote:

> Do you just mean that the bill would give the
> police the right to demand that a suspect decrypts any relevant
> documents in his possession? That power (limited by due process etc etc)
> seems essential to me, pace the burden-of-proof issue which is clearly
> unacceptable as it stands.

It also goes against the precedent set by the European Court of Human
Rights in Funke v. France, by forcing a suspect to incriminate him or
herself.

I do agree though that if the bill was scaled down in the way you
described it would not be too bad.  Key escrow was outrageous, the bill
as it stands now is awful, but a bill drafted in the way you described
would be merely undesirable.  Or that's my opinion anyway...

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