ALERT: On Monday, call Congress to

[cd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

jfp@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> >To: crypto-news@xxxxxxxxx
> >From: shabbir@xxxxxxx (Shabbir J. Safdar)
> >Subject: ALERT: On Monday, call Congress to stop the Big Brother amendment!
> >Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 14:42:43 -0400
> >Sender: owner-crypto-news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >Reply-To: crypto-news@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >
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> >===========================================================================
> > ____  _         ____            _   _
> >| __ )(_) __ _  | __ ) _ __ ___ | |_| |__   ___ _ __   Stop the Big Brother
> >|  _ \| |/ _` | |  _ \| '__/ _ \| __| '_ \ / _ \ '__|  Amendment, coming next
> >| |_) | | (_| | | |_) | | | (_) | |_| | | |  __/ |     week in the House
> >|____/|_|\__, | |____/|_|  \___/ \__|_| |_|\___|_|     Commerce committee!
> >         |___/
> >                          Posted September 18, 1997
> >           Please forward where appropriate until September 28, 1997
> >
> >                        This alert brought to you by
> >The Voters Telecommunications Watch, The Center for Democracy & Technology,
> >              the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Wired Magazine,
> >                        and Americans for Tax Reform
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >Table of Contents
> >      Stop the Government From Building Big Brother Into The Internet
> >      What You Can Do
> >            -Please contact four leading members of Congress
> >      Background
> >      About This Alert
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >STOP THE GOVERNMENT FROM BUILDING BIG BROTHER INTO THE INTERNET
> >
> >In 1948, George Orwell described a future world in which Big Brother
> >peaked over the shoulder of every citizen -- watching every move and
> >listening to every word.
> >
> >Now, in 1997, the FBI is pushing the United States Congress to pass
> >legislation which would make George Orwell's frightening vision a reality.
> >
> >Next week the House Commerce Committee will meet to consider a
> >proposal that would require all Americans to provide the government
> >guaranteed access to their private online communications and business
> >transactions.  Taking a page out of Orwell's 1984, the FBI-spawned
> >proposal would require that every part of the Internet -- from the
> >software on your computer to the network provider that carries your
> >messages around the net -- be jury-rigged to divulge your private
> >conversations immediately on request by the FBI (see below).
> >
> >Unfortunately, this is not a work of fiction.
> >
> >The amendment, to be offered by Representatives Mike Oxley (R-OH) and
> >Thomas Manton (D-NY), is a serious threat to your privacy and represents
> >the first and final step in the construction of a National Surveillance
> >Infrastructure.
> >
> >A vote is expected on September 25.  The future of privacy and security
> >in the information age is in the hands of the Commerce Committee, and
> >they need to know that folks are watching and care about the outcome.
> >
> >On Monday September 22, please join thousands of Internet users all across
> >the country as we call on Congress to stop big brother.  With your help and
> >support,  we can ensure that George Orwell's 1984 does not become a reality.
> >
> >All the information you need is attached below.
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >WHAT YOU CAN DO
> >
> >1. ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22, pick up the phone and call as many of the four
> >   leading members of the Commerce committee as you can:
> >
> >     Chairman Thomas Bliley (R-VA)         (202) 225-2815
> >     Ranking member John Dingell (D-MI)   (202) 225-4071
> >     Rep. Tauzin (R-LA)                    (202) 225-4031
> >     Rep. Markey (D-MA)                    (202) 225-2836
> >
> >2. Ask for the staffer that handles the encryption issue.
> >
> >3. Say that you're calling to urge the Congressman to pass SAFE (HR695)
> >   without amendments.
> >
> >   Specifically, say that you "OPPOSE THE OXLEY/MANTON BIG BROTHER AMENDMENT.
> >   Americans should not be required to give the government keys to the front
> >   door of their house, and they shouldn't be required to give the government
> >   the keys to unlock their private online communications."
> >
> >Other amendments may be proposed.  Please urge the Congressman to pass SAFE
> >"as is" and oppose any amendments. Feel free to use your own words though
> >here are some points you might want to stress:
> >
> >- Oxley/Manton is a dramatic expansion of law enforcement power.  It would
> >   give law enforcement "immediate" access to private online communications
> >   and business transactions without any notice or knowledge to the user.
> >
> >- Oxley/Manton is NOT A BALANCE BETWEEN PRIVACY INTERESTS AND LAW
> >   ENFORCEMENT CONCERNS, as some supporters have argued.  It gives the FBI
> >   broad new power while stripping Americans of their Fourth Amendment right
> >   to be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures.
> >
> >- Oxley/Manton would give the Attorney General authority to dictate the
> >   design of Internet services and software to suit the needs of law
> >   enforcement.
> >
> >- Oxley/Manton would not stop crime. Strong encryption without "immediate
> >   access" features is available today at home and abroad.
> >
> >- Oxley/Manton would increase opportunities for cybercrime as criminal
> hackers
> >   attack vulnerabilities in the key recovery access system.
> >
> >4. Let us know how it went!  Go to one of the following web pages, depending
> >   on who you called, and tell us about the conversation.
> >
> >   Rep. Bliley     http://www.crypto.com/member/meet.cgi?membid=va07
> >   Rep. Dingell    http://www.crypto.com/member/meet.cgi?membid=mi16
> >   Rep. Tauzin     http://www.crypto.com/member/meet.cgi?membid=la03
> >   Rep. Markey     http://www.crypto.com/member/meet.cgi?membid=ma07
> >
> >5. Forward this ALERT to your friends and colleagues.
> >
> >6. Feel good about yourself!  Know that you've stood up for privacy, and
> >   contacting Congress is more than most people take the time to do!
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >BACKGROUND
> >
> >The House Commerce Committee is considering a bill known as the "Security and
> >Freedom through Encryption Act" (HR 695, a.k.a. SAFE).  SAFE would
> >encourage the widespread availability of strong, easy-to-use encryption
> >technologies in order to protect privacy and promote electronic commerce on
> >the Internet.  SAFE enjoys broad support from Internet users, civil
> >liberties advocates, and over 250 members of Congress.
> >
> >Last week, the Commerce Committee delayed its vote on the SAFE bill in
> >order to give the Committee more time to study the implications of the
> >Oxley/Manton amendment, which would change SAFE to ban encryption which
> >does not contain features that provide law enforcement with "immediate
> >access" to the plain text of encrypted information, including private
> >communications and business transactions (visit
> >http://www.crypto.com/safe_bill/)
> >
> >The Oxley/Manton amendment would for the first time impose sweeping
> >restrictions on the ability of American citizens to protect their privacy
> >on US soil. Specifically, the amendment would:
> >
> >* PROHIBIT THE DOMESTIC MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF ENCRYPTION PRODUCTS OR
> >  SERVICES WHICH DO NOT PROVIDE INSTANT ACCESS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT: The
> >  proposal would prohibit the manufacture, sale, import, or distribution
> >  within the United States of any encryption product unless it allows
> >  "immediate access" to the plain text of any user's messages or files
> >  without the user's knowledge.
> >
> >* GRANT BROAD NEW AUTHORITY FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SET TECHNICAL
> >  STANDARDS FOR ENCRYPTION PRODUCTS: The proposal allows the Attorney
> >  General to set standards for what are and are not acceptable
> >  encryption products. The proposal's requirement of immediate access to
> >  plain text would seem to seriously limit the options available to
> >  encryption manufacturers seeking approval of their products.
> >
> >The amendment does not specify whether the immediate access "features"
> >could be activated (or not) at the option of the purchaser or end user.
> >Nonetheless,  requiring that such a capability be installed in all domestic
> >communications networks and encryption products is the equivalent of
> >enabling a national surveillance infrastructure and asserts unprecedented
> >control over the design of Internet software, hardware, and services.
> >
> >The amendment is analogous to the government requiring surveillance cameras
> >in every new house built in the United States, which could be turned on
> >remotely by the police if you were ever suspected of committing a crime.
> >
> >Worse yet, such "key escrow" or "key recovery" technologies pose
> >significant risk to the security of the Internet -- providing new
> >points of vulnerability for hackers, terrorists, and industrial spies
> >to exploit.  A recent study by 11 of the worlds leading cryptographers
> >concluded that the large scale deployment of such technologies would be
> >too complex and too insecure to meet the needs of an Information Age
> >society (see http://www.crypto.com/key_study/)
> >
> >Despite widespread opposition from Internet users, civil liberties
> >groups, privacy advocates, and the computer and communications
> >industries, Oxley and Manton plan to push for this FBI spawned amendment
> >at the Commerce Committee vote.  If it is adopted, it would
> >represent the first and final step in the development of a national
> >surveillance infrastructure.
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >ABOUT THIS ALERT
> >
> >This message was brought to you by the Center for Democracy and
> >Technology (http://www.cdt.org), the Voters Telecommunications Watch
> >(http://www.vtw.org/), the Electronic Frontier Foundation
> >(http://www.eff.org/), Wired Magazine (http://www.wired.com/), and
> >Americans for Tax Reform (http://www.atr.org/) who have joined together
> >on this alert.
> >
> >_________________________________________________________________
> >end alert 09.18.1997 net
> >===========================================================================
> >