How to ban crypto?

[Axel H Horns]

On 16 Sep 2001, at 17:26, Peter Fairbrother wrote:

> Any other suggestions for how to ban crypto? I can't think of anything
> that would actually work against terrorists.

Hmmm... we should be careful not to restrict the discussion of 
potential (non-)effects of coming restrictive legislative measures 
with regard to cryptography to pure technical aspects thereof.

For example, I am working in Germany as a Patent Attorney. During the 
past years I managed to convince a handful of clients and colleagues 
to make use of PGP in order to protect confidential information when 
sending e-mail messages.

Of course, if PGP would be banned in Germany by some legislation I 
would not be able to recommend any client or colleague to continue 
with PGP usage. I for myself would have to cease PGP usage 
immediately. Besides criminal charges, it would be an offence in 
violation of the applicable professional code of conduct, and I 
surely would get a lot of trouble if I would exercise non-compliance 
in conjunction with my professional activities. Maybe that I would 
lose my professional admission (in Germany, "Patentanwalt" is a 
strictly regulated profession).   

Other professional users would also effectively be forced to cease 
PGP usage by similar mechanisms.

So a ban on strong crypto might indeed very effective among 
professional users where economical aspects are at stake.

Nevertheless, a ban of non-GAK strong crypto would not be a suitable 
measure to fight terrorism. It would only stabilize the present 
SIGINT hybris.

Axel H Horns




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