[Cryptography] NSA voting on TLS encryption at the IETF TLS WG

[Peter Fairbrother]

On 07/07/2026 23:34, Jon Callas wrote:
> 
> 
>> On Jul 3, 2026, at 10:26, Peter Fairbrother <peter at tsto.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>> I think the title says it all - but why should the NSA be allowed to vote? Not that a vote means much here.
> 
> 
> The NSA does not vote. Anyone who says they are doesn't understand the IETF. The IETF operates by "rough consensus" and at times they measure the consensus in a room with the charming mechanism of humming (not singing). Thus, someone will ask for people to hum if they approve of an option. The idea behind this is that it permits a check where someone with a lot of lung power does not overpower everyone else.

hmm, sounds like a vote, if a bit informal (my spellchecker rendered 
that as "infernal"..), to me.

Peter Fairbrother