Regulation Policy

New Encryption Technology Proposal

The long-running debate over export controls on U.S. encryption technology may be moving closer to resolution, based on a plan to be offered today by a computer industry group. The standoff has pitted the desires of encryption technology producers to sell their products overseas against U.S. law enforcement officials' need to protect national security and combat crime.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, for one, has long contended that encryption products would help criminals mask their plans in e-mail and other types of communications.

But the industry claims its proposal would keep electronic messages secure, while allowing government officials to eavesdrop for law enforcement purposes.

  • The technology would allow data to be scrambled for privacy but provide restricted access to it at the beginning and end of each transmission.

  • The access points -- so-called "private doorbells" -- are inside routers, the computers that direct data traffic, or inside software that control such networks.

  • In effect, the system works as if it were operating at both ends of a string connecting two tin cans -- with data traveling down the string in scrambled form.

  • Before it leaves one can, and once it reaches the other, it is unscrambled and can be retrieved if the address of the sender or receiver are known.

But the approach might not work if two parties encrypted their messages before sending them. So-called end-to-end encryption is widely available.

The computer industry admits it does not yet have the complete answer, but believes the plan to be a positive step in breaking the logjam of encryption export controls. Comments on the plan by federal officials were cautiously optimistic.

Source: Ralph T. King Jr. and John Simons, "Industry Group's Encryption Method May Break a Long Impasse with FBI," Wall Street Journal, July 13, 1998.

Home | Support Us | All Issues | Social Security | Debate Central | Contact Us

Dallas Headquarters: 12770 Coit Rd., Suite 800 - Dallas, TX 75251-1339 - 972/386-6272 - Fax 972/386-0924
Washington Office: 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 900 South Building - Washington, DC 20004 - 202/220-3082 - Fax 202/220-3096
© 2001 NCPA