Letwin wants increased penalties for refusal to decrypt

[David Hansen]

On 16 Aug 2002 at 9:08, Richard Clayton wrote:

> This is a piece about Oliver Letwin (shadow Home Secretary) calling
> for "grooming" (that's what you and I used to call seduction, but it's
> much more scary if there's a new word for it) to be made illegal.

That's what you and I used to call talking.

I'm deeply disturbed that talking to children can be interpreted in 
such a way. No doubt the forces of darkness will tell us that the law 
will not apply to everyone, but only a subset. That's their usual 
line when asked different questions.
 
> Quite how anyone knows that they're illegal images of children if you
> refuse to decrypt them (or why they need to be decrypted if people
> know what they are) is one of those philosophical puzzles that so
> bedevil proposals to fiddle around with penalty levels.

Mr Letwin is a party politician. The only thoughts most such people 
have are about being seen to do something.

I was not surprised to see that the John Carr tendency appears to 
have been overjoyed by the current abduction. Without waiting for 
evidence the forces of darkness pronounced that the current evil, 
Internet, was responsible for the disappearance of two girls. We must 
do something they stormed. Also worrying, though not surprising, is 
the failure of journalists to hold them to account.

--
  David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
 I will *always* explain why I revoke a key, unless the UK 
 government prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.