Readers' Comments

Reader Comments on Aardvark Daily 8 Feb 2001
Note: the comments below are the unedited submissions of readers and do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher.
From: Peter
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: Evidence of Misinformation

Today I found the following link in the Herald.  Basically
its the same story as on Wired.  Whats interesting is that
such grossly bias stories are being published in general
public newspapers, when more balanced and accurate stories
are not.

Sure, bad men use encryption to protect their
communication.  They also use phones, cars, trucks, boats,
planes, and anything else that is commonly available.  Are
we to ban all these things just because they can be used
for evil?

Any plans to restrict encryption or stenography would have
a total of NIL effect on criminals and terrorists.  However
it would have a very chilling effect on average Joe Blows
ability to keep his business private.  I find it rather
disturbing that there is an association being made between
terrorists and encryption.

Its a form of brainwashing - making people associate
encryption with terrorism.  This makes it very much easier
to pass laws restricting it, and discredit those who
support strong encryption.

The fact is that strong encryption is going to be the
keystone of ecommerce.  Without solid, secure technology to
transfer our business information we face an uphill battle
convincing business people to use it.  Perhaps America
should be more worried about restricting bombs and guns
than with encryption.




From: Brian Cahill
For : The Editor (for publication)
Subj: Government Tactics

It puzzled me at first that they were bothering to give
themselves the power to intercept emails, when strong
encryption products are freely available and must surely be
familiar to computer-savvy criminals.

I may be one of the "fanatical extremists", but I make the
following prediction:

About six to eighteen months after the passing of the Crimes
Amendment Act No.6, there will be reports that those
internet paedophiles (or terrorists or neo-nazis or whatever
the bogeyman du jour is at the time) are now using
ENCRYPTION to hide their evil deeds!

Obviously, the government will need to make just a modest
addition to the interception powers granted by the Crimes
Amendment Act No.6, something along the lines of the UK's
"Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act", for example.

If this doesn't happen, I'll be very happy to have been
proven wrong.
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