Forwarded From: ama-gi ISPI <offshoreat_private> This From: CNET News.com, September 15, 1998 http://www.news.com Clinton To Relax Crypto Rules http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,26427,00.html By Reuters, lettersat_private Special to CNET News.com WASHINGTON--The Clinton administration tomorrow will announce a further relaxation of U.S. export limits on data scrambling technologies, considered critical for securing electronic commerce and Internet communications, people familiar with the plan said. The latest plan will continue the administration's piecemeal strategy of easing some of the export controls without fully lifting the limits as many high-tech companies and civil liberties groups would like. Part of the plan is expected to allow for rapid exports of strong encryption products that scramble information carried over computer or communications networks. A group of computer companies led by Cisco Systems [ http://www.cisco.com/ ] proposed such a network-based encryption scheme in July. But the latest proposals will likely represent only a partial resolution of the long-running debate between the high-tech industry and civil libertarians, who favor unfettered use of encryption, and law enforcement and national security officials who fear unregulated use of the technology would help criminals. The White House announcement comes in part as a response to a private-sector proposal in May to broadly relax the export limits. Congress has discussed several bills to dramatically lift the export limits, but the proposals have been stymied by opponents and are unlikely to pass this year. Several lawsuits are also pending challenging the constitutionality of the limits. -o- Subscribe: mail majordomoat_private with "subscribe isn". Today's ISN Sponsor: Repent Security Incorporated [www.repsec.com]
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