New EPIC Crypto report is available

[Yaman Akdeniz]

Cryptography and Liberty 1999 
An International Survey of  Encryption Policy
 Electronic Privacy Information Center
Washington, DC

is now available through

http://www.epic.org/reports/crypto1999.html

Executive Summary

Most countries in the world today have no controls on the use of
cryptography. In the vast majority of countries, cryptography may be
freely used, manufactured, and sold without restriction. This is true
for both leading industrial countries and for developing countries.
There is a movement towards international relaxation of regulations
relating to encryption products, coupled with a rejection of key
escrow and recovery policies. Many countries have recently adopted
policies expressly rejecting requirements for key escrow systems and a
few countries, most notably France, have dropped their escrow systems.
There are a small number of countries where strong domestic controls
on the use of cryptography exist. These are mostly countries where
human rights command little respect.

Recent trends in international law and policy point toward continued
relaxation of controls on cryptography. The Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development's Cryptography Policy Guidelines and the
Ministerial Declaration of the European Union, both released in 1997,
argue for the liberalization of controls on cryptography and the
development of market-based, user driven cryptography products and
services. There is a growing awareness worldwide of encryption and an
increasing number of countries have developed policies, driven by the
OECD guidelines.

Export controls remain the most powerful obstacle to the development
and free flow of encryption. The revised December 1998 Wassenaar
Arrangement may roll back some of the liberalization sought by the
OECD, particularly by restricting the key lengths of encryption
products that can be exported without approval licenses. However,
several major countries have already indicated that they do not plan
to adopt new restrictions.

The United States government continues to lead efforts for encryption
controls around the world. The U.S. government has exerted economic
and diplomatic pressure on other countries in an attempt to force them
into adopting restrictive policies. The U.S. position may be
explained, in part, by the dominant role that national intelligence
and federal law enforcement agencies hold in the development of
encryption policy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Yaman Akdeniz,
Director, Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK)
URL: http://www.cyber-rights.org
E-mail: lawya@cyber-rights.org

Read the CR&CL (UK) Reports at:
http://www.cyber-rights.org/reports/ 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~