827 lines
37 KiB
Plaintext
827 lines
37 KiB
Plaintext
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Computer underground Digest Sun Oct 6, 1996 Volume 8 : Issue 71
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ISSN 1004-042X
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Editor: Jim Thomas (cudigest@sun.soci.niu.edu)
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News Editor: Gordon Meyer (gmeyer@sun.soci.niu.edu)
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Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
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Shadow Master: Stanton McCandlish
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Field Agent Extraordinaire: David Smith
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Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
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Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
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Ian Dickinson
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Cu Digest Homepage: http://www.soci.niu.edu/~cudigest
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CONTENTS, #8.71 (Sun, Oct 6, 1996)
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File 1--Defamation and web site addresses
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File 2--ELEMENTS OF THE NEW CRYPTO PROPOSAL
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File 3--The fictive environment of DoD infowar kooks
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File 4--(Fwd) Cybercast of GA HB1630 Press Conference
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File 5--Re: Microsoft lies, damned lies, and statistics
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File 6--Re: Microsoft lies, damned lies, and statistics (in CuD)
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File 7--Response to Michael Bernard/Microsoft's Methodology
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File 8--Channel WoW Broadcasts Live ON THE Internet
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File 9--Re: Call for Papers: The Jrnl of IWAR Intel. Acquisition
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File 10--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 7 Apr, 1996)
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CuD ADMINISTRATIVE, EDITORIAL, AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION ApPEARS IN
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THE CONCLUDING FILE AT THE END OF EACH ISSUE.
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---------------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: 3 Oct 1996 14:55:41 +1000
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From: "Brian Martin" <Brian_Martin@UOW.EDU.AU>
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Subject: File 1--Defamation and web site addresses
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Defamation and web site addresses
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Brian Martin
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This is the story of how a university administration, by
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threatening to sue for defamation, was able to deter the mass media
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from publishing a web site address.
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Earlier this year I publicised the address of a site on the web
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where information can be obtained about a case involving Dr David
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Rindos and the University of Western Australia. As a result, the
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university threatened to sue me and several media outlets for
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republishing a defamation. What we published was not defamatory
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material itself but a web address where it was possible to read
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material that the university alleged was defamatory.
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The information in question concerns the denial of tenure to Dr
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David Rindos at the University of Western Australia. Hugh Jarvis,
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who was concerned about the case, set up a web site which includes
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a large number of documents about it, especially copies of letters,
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submissions and newspaper articles. The site is located at the
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State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo.
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I have been following the Rindos-UWA case for some years and
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written a few letters about it. In May two similar letters of mine
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appeared, one in the Australian (8 May 1996, p. 41), a national
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daily newspaper with a higher education supplement each Wednesday,
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and the other in Campus Review (8-14 May 1996, p. 8) , a national
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weekly newspaper. Here is the letter published in Campus Review
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under the title "Threat to autonomy."
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"THE West Australian parliament has set up an inquiry into the
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events surrounding the denial of tenure to Dr David Rindos by the
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University of WA.
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"It has been reported that the Australian Vice-Chancellors'
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Committee sees this inquiry to be a threat to autonomy.
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"But sometimes 'university autonomy' can be at the expense of other
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interests. In the numerous cases of whistleblowing and suppression
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of dissent that I have studied, internal procedures seldom have
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delivered justice. Universities are little different from other
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organisations in this regard.
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"When an academic exposes some problem such as favouritism,
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plagiarism or sexual abuse, it is common for senior academics and
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administrators to close ranks and squelch open discussion. A more
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enlightened response would be for the university to put its house
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in order. If the University of WA had set up a truly independent
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inquiry, with experts from the outside, the present parliamentary
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inquiry probably would have been unnecessary.
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"The Senate Select Committee on Unresolved Whistleblower Cases
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reported in October last year. In relation to higher education, it
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commented as follows: 'The committee heard allegations of
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destruction of documents, alteration of documents, fabricated
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complaints concerning work performance and harassment of the
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individuals concerned. Such allegations raise concerns about the
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ethical standards within institutions and attitudes to outside
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review. The committee concedes that there is a need for outside
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review to be balanced against the autonomy of academic
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institutions. However, autonomy cannot be allowed to override
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responsibility to academic staff as well as students.'
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"Since a web page has been set up about the Rindos case
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(http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~hjarvis/rindos.html), readers can
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judge the issue for themselves without relying on the AVCC." [end
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of letter]
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On 15 May, I received a letter from the legal firm Freehill
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Hollingdale & Page acting for UWA. Their letter stated that the
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material on the web site "contains statements which are defamatory
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of members of our client's [UWA] academic and administrative staff,
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including the Vice-Chancellor and at least one Professor. By
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publishing the address of the web site, you have both drawn the
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attention of others to it and have provided the means by which the
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defamatory material posted on the site may be viewed. That
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constitutes a re-publication of the defamation." They stated
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further that unless I refrained from publishing anything containing
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the web site address, UWA "will be forced to consider recommending
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to its staff members that action be taken against you." I
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understand that similar letters were sent to the Australian, Campus
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Review, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Hugh Jarvis
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and SUNY.
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If it is defamatory to refer people to a site that contains
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allegedly defamatory material, then by the same logic all sorts of
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everyday recommendations could be considered defamatory. A large
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web site can have as many words as a book, a newspaper, or large
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collection of documents. By analogy, the following actions could be
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considered defamatory:
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* recommending that someone reads a newspaper or magazine;
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* encouraging someone to read a book;
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* referring someone to a section of a library;
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* suggesting that someone reads the graffiti along a train line;
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* telling someone to read documents in the drawer of a filing
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cabinet;
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* citing a source as a footnote in a scholarly article.
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There is a further difference. In some of these cases, such as
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newspapers, defamation has been proved. It is only alleged that the
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Rindos web site contains defamatory material.
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From the beginning, UWA's threats seemed to me to be bluffs
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intended to deter further publicising of the web address by the
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mass media, especially during the course of the WA parliamentary
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inquiry, but unlikely to be followed through with writs and
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appearances in court. These bluffs seem to have worked, for the
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most part.
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According to ABC journalist Jane Figgis, after she broadcast a
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programme giving the web site address, UWA contacted the ABC, which
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removed the reference from the repeat broadcast. I sent letters to
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the Australian and Campus Review telling about the UWA threat. The
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Australian did not publish my letter. Campus Review took a stronger
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line. The editor, Warren Osmund, published my letter (though
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removing the web site address) and refused to agree to UWA's
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demand.
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Meanwhile, Hugh Jarvis quite properly asked UWA officials what
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particular material on his site was defamatory, and invited UWA to
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present its own point of view. According to Jarvis, UWA has not
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responded to these overtures, instead merely reiterating its
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general threat to sue. This is compatible with my impression that
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UWA's threats are bluffs.
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For distributing messages, the net provides an alternative to the
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mass media. As well as sending letters to the two newspapers, I
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composed a general message, including the text of my first Campus
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Review letter, and sent it first to Forums & Debates at the
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University of Wollongong (which gets to nearly all staff) and then
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to various others whom I thought would be interested. In my message
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I encouraged individuals to send copies to others: "If you are
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concerned about this attempt by UWA officials to inhibit open
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discussion, you can send a copy of this message to others who might
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be interested."
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As a result of this initiative, I received quite a few supportive
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messages. Several individuals set up links from their own web
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sites to the Rindos web site and wrote letters informing the
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Vice-Chancellor of UWA of this. Others informed me that they
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forwarded my message to numerous other people. Thus, by alerting
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people to UWA defamation threat, the information about the Rindos
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web site was circulated widely. As well, journalists in Perth (the
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home of UWA) have written stories about UWA's actions. I put a
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version of this article, including text of various letters, on my
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own web site, which deals with suppression of dissent
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(http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmartin/dissent/). Hugh Jarvis also
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has an account on his Rindos/UWA site
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((http://www.acsu.buffalo.edu/~hjarvis/rindos.html).
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UWA's threats may have deterred some of the mass media but have had
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little impact on users of the net. As web access grows, UWA's
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threats may in the longer term turn out to generate the very
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publicity that UWA officials seem most anxious to suppress.
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Brian Martin
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Science and Technology Studies
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University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
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email: brian_martin@uow.edu.au
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------------------------------
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Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 02:02:48 -0400 (EDT)
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From: Voters Telecommunications Watch <shabbir@vtw.org>
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Subject: File 2--ELEMENTS OF THE NEW CRYPTO PROPOSAL
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VTW BillWatch #60
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VTW BillWatch: A newsletter tracking US Federal legislation
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affecting civil liberties. BillWatch is published about every
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week as long as Congress is in session. (Congress is in session)
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BillWatch is produced and published by the
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Voters Telecommunications Watch (vtw@vtw.org)
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Issue #60, Date: Tue Oct 1 01:59:19 EDT 1996
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Do not remove this banner. See distribution instructions at the end.
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----------------------------------------------
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ELEMENTS OF THE NEW CRYPTO PROPOSAL
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Strap yourself in, friends. The White House is at it again.
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On Thursday October 3, the White House will unveil it's long-dreaded
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encryption proposal. The cause of some significant consternation among
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Administration staffers, the proposal has been so long in coming that
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Justice officials attending hearings last week on H.R. 3011 were visibly
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annoyed at being left to twist in the wind.
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Leaks abound right before a big announcement like this, but this time
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everyone with a copy of the proposal has kept mum these last few days.
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However the press has caught bits and pieces of it which we've collected
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for you here. If you're an absolute crypto-media-hound, this may not be
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news to you.
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MOVE OF EXPORT APPROVALS FROM STATE TO COMMERCE, FBI VETO POWER
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For years, companies have attempted to get their encryption products
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through an easier, more lenient export process in the Department of
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Commerce, instead of State. Approval in Commerce goes quickly, and
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the hurdles are less formidable. Clearly, this should be a good thing.
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However the deal that's been floating around for several weeks now is
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that this move will not be this easy. The Department of Justice,
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(or as Brock Meeks translates, the FBI) wants a seat at the table. In
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effect, they want veto power over export applications. The assumption
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is that they feel they can influence the domestic encryption market to
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integrate Clipper-style key escrow technology by simply refusing the
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export of any strong encryption products that might have previously been
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approved in State.
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This is bad news for companies that have no customer base demanding
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government-friendly key escrow products.
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KEY LENGTH RAISED TO 56 OR 64 BITS PROVIDED IT USES KEY ESCROW
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This aspect of the proposal looks like old news, and to a certain extent,
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it is. The Clipper II proposal suggested that the industry build hooks
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into their products so that third parties could hold your keys for you.
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Of course, that third party cannot be yourself, or anyone you would think
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of when you think of entities you trust.
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Thursday's proposal is likely to look a lot like Clipper II, and it will
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likely cite the new IBM offering, SuperCrypto, as an example of products
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that employ key escrow to allow export of products that use higher length
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keys. What isn't certain is the extent to which key lengths will be raised.
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There have been several conflicting rumors, some of them claiming 56 bits,
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others claiming 64 bits.
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More important than the question of key length will be the determination of
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which companies are allowed to hold their own keys. This author predicts
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that the only entities that will be allowed to hold keys will be: a gov't
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agency (such as NIST), the maker of the encryption product itself, or
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large companies that have the significant resources to run a key recovery
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center. In all cases, the key recovery centers will still need to be
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seperate entities that will dole out keys to law enforcement without the
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knowledge of the key's owner.
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In other words, you as an individual or small business are still out of luck.
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PROBABLY NOT IN PLAN: KEY LENGTH RAISED TO 56 BITS WITHOUT KEY ESCROW
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It has long been rumored that the avalanche of proof provided by the industry
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experts would eventually force the Administration to raise the key length
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for which unescrowed encryption products could be exported. Currently,
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this limit is 40 bits, but several rumors floated and died within the
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last few weeks suggesting that the Administration would be raising the
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key length. It now looks like those were indeed just rumors.
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SUMMARY
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Most of these measures, if not all of them, can be implemented
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administratively removing the need for Congress to get involved. However
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Congress has already staked out its turf on this issue, and isn't likely
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to cede that any time soon. Keep an eye out for the reactions from sponsors
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of S.1726 (Pro-CODE) and HR 3011 on the feasibility White House proposal.
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------------------------------
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Date: Wed, 25 Sep 1996 13:48:15 -0500 (CDT)
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From: Crypt Newsletter <crypt@sun.soci.niu.edu>
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Subject: File 3--The fictive environment of DoD infowar kooks
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The September 8-15 issue of Defense News magazine featured an
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article on information warfare kooks at the Pentagon and elsewhere
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in the western world. Coming together at the National Computer Security
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Association's annual InfoWar Con in Washington, DC, various political
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and military attaches were quoted making amusing and fantastic
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claims by reporter Pat Cooper.
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One of the best examples was given by the Australian embassy's defense
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attache in Washington, air vice marshal Brendan O'Loghlin. O'Loghlin
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was reported to say information warfare could be used to destroy enemy
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computers through the release or deployment of computer viruses into
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foreign networks.
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Of course, this will feed more computer virus myths on the effectiveness
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of trivial replicating programs as weapons. It also overlooks the
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problem of "blowback," or what happens when a military option imposed
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on an enemy blows back over friendly borders and becomes a menace at
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home.
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Indeed, the entire history of computer viruses shows their epidemiology
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is no respecter of diplomatic treaties, allies, or international borders.
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Spread of computer viruses is by practical definition uncontrollable.
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Does this mean a branch of the Australian military is actually thinking
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about writing computer viruses or procuring them as potential weapons?
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Hard to say.
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But it does raise the question why a politico-military appointee in the
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Australian diplomatic corps isn't censured by his home office for
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spouting such arrant stupidity in a high profile public forum.
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Another trenchant quote was provided to Cooper by Marine General John
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Sheehan, head man at Atlantic Command in Norfolk, VA. Sheehan said
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he was getting involved in information warfare because "We don't
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want to get our butts kicked by a bunch of long-haired 26-year-olds
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with earrings."
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And the world of infowar kooks is not without its own evolving jargon,
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too, where old phenomena and plans evolve into new words that make no
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sense but which serve to hide spoiled old wine in new bottles.
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One of the better terms Crypt has seen is "fictive environment."
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Coined by infowar kooks at the Air Force College of Aerospace Doctrine
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at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, a "fictive environment" is
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one created when the U.S. military spams a bogus electronic press
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(or a radio or TV broadcast) release on Saddam Hussein kissing a pig
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into, say, the Iraqi communications network. This used to be called
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psychological operations but information warfare kooks have cleverly
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renamed it "fictive environment," perhaps to avoid being downsized
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when the psy-ops budget is cut.
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Of course, information warfare kooks in the U.S. military believe
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such a stunt would discredit enemy leaders in the eyes of their troops,
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causing foreign soldiers to march to our side -- or at least be gripped
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by indecision. The U.S., say the information warfare kooks, is
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immune to a "fictive environment" since we have an open society and
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no one ever gets taken in by bogus news stories on computer networks
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or television broadcasts. The skeptical reader is forgiven for wondering
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what planet Department of Defense information warfare kooks have been
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living on.
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Crypt Newsletter
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http://www.soci.niu.edu/~crypt
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------------------------------
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Date: Mon, 23 Sep 1996 20:21:34 +0000
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From: David Smith <bladex@bga.com>
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Subject: File 4--(Fwd) Cybercast of GA HB1630 Press Conference
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------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
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RealAudio Live broadcast of the press conference is available at
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http://www.efga.org/realaudio/hb1630.htm at 10:30 am EST (NY) from Atlanta
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Georgia.
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-------------------------------------
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Joint News Release:
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AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION
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ELECTRONIC FRONTIERS GEORGIA
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REP. MITCHELL KAYE
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Groups Challenge Georgia Law
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Restricting Free Speech in Cyberspace
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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September 24, 1996
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Contacts:
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Teresa Nelson, ACLU of Georgia, 404-523-6201
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Robert Costner, EFGA, 770-512-8746
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Mitchell Kaye, 770-998-2399
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Emily Whitfield, Nat'l ACLU, 212-944-9800
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ATLANTA--The American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontiers Georgia,
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Georgia State Representative Mitchell Kaye and others today filed a lawsuit
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seeking a preliminary injunction against a Georgia statute restricting free
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speech in cyberspace.
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At a news conference here, the groups said that the law is
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unconstitutionally vague and overbroad because it bars online users from
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using pseudonyms or communicating anonymously over the Internet. The Act
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also unconstitutionally restricts the use of links on the World Wide Web,
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which allow users to connect to other sites.
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"Fundamental civil liberties are as important in cyberspace as they are in
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traditional contexts," said Ann Beeson, an ACLU national staff attorney
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specializing in cyber-rights. "The right to speak and publish using a
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virtual 'nom de plume' has its roots in a long tradition dating back to the
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very founding of democracy in this country."
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The lawsuit is the first such challenge to state cybercensorship laws, the
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ACLU said. The ACLU said it has been monitoring state regulation of the
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Internet and that currently, over 20 states have considered such laws.
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"This is the first challenge that we know of to a state statute that has
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tried to regulate national -- indeed, international -- communications," said
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attorney Beeson. "The nature of the Internet makes state regulation
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extremely problematical, because it forces everyone in the country to comply
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with one state's law. If fifty states pass fifty contradictory laws,
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Internet users will be virtually paralyzed for fear of violating one or more
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of those laws."
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The complaint includes the assertion that the Commerce Clause of the United
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States Constitution bars state regulation of the Internet because it is an
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interstate communications medium.
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The suit was filed in U.S. Northern District Court of Georgia Federal Court,
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challenging the state law on behalf of 14 plaintiffs (note: see attached for
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a list of plaintiffs). The lawsuit names Governor Zell Miller and state
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Attorney General Michael Bowers as defendants.
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The Act was passed by the Georgia General Assembly and became effective on
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July 1 of this year. The law provides criminal sanctions of up to 12
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months in jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine for violations.
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Two of the plaintiffs, Electronic Frontiers Georgia and Georgia State
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Representative Mitchell Kaye (R-Marietta), lobbied against the law before
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its passage, and solicited help from the ACLU and others to mount a legal
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challenge after it was enacted.
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Electronic Frontiers Georgia (EFGA), a Georgia-based cyber-liberties
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organization, said that the group had supported a letter written by the
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co-counsel in the case to state Attorney General Michael Bowers asking him to
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clarify the law so that any debate about its meaning could be settled without
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litigation.
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"It's clear that no one would want to pass a law that says what this law
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says, that simply linking from website to website or using a pseudonym is
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illegal in Georgia and therefore throughout the Internet," said Robert
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Costner of EFGA.
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Rep. Kaye said he became involved in the battle against the law when
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members of the House attacked him for maintaining a private website that
|
|
they said might be mistaken for the "official" website of the Georgia House of
|
|
Representatives. The website is maintained by the Conservative Policy Caucus
|
|
and contains prominent disclaimers that it is not an official government
|
|
site.
|
|
|
|
"House leaders felt threatened that their voting records were being
|
|
published along with political commentary that was not always flattering,"
|
|
said Rep. Kaye, a member of the Conservative Policy Caucus. "Sunshine is the
|
|
best government disinfectant, and freedom of speech is a not a partisan
|
|
issue."
|
|
|
|
Teresa Nelson, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, said that ACLU
|
|
was acting as a plaintiff as well as a litigant in the case in order to protect
|
|
visitors to its website who may wish to access or discuss sensitive
|
|
information anonymously or using a pseudonym.
|
|
|
|
"These concerns were addressed in the letter to Attorney General Michael
|
|
Bowers, requesting a very narrow interpretation of the law. Unfortunately,
|
|
he chose to ignore our request and we have been forced to litigate to protect
|
|
confidentiality on the Internet."
|
|
|
|
The national ACLU, serving as co-counsel in the Georgia case, is also a
|
|
litigant in ACLU v. Reno, its challenge to Internet censorship provisions of
|
|
the federal Communications Decency Act.
|
|
|
|
In June of this year, a federal three-judge panel in Philadelphia granted
|
|
an injunction against the CDA, saying that, "as the most participatory form
|
|
of mass speech yet developed, the Internet deserves the highest protection
|
|
from governmental intrusion." The government has appealed that ruling and the
|
|
case is now on it way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
|
|
|
|
The Complaint
|
|
|
|
According to the complaint, the law makes it a crime to use a name that
|
|
"falsely identifies" a speaker on the Internet, without distinguishing
|
|
whether the person communicating had any intent to deceive or defraud or
|
|
simply wanted to keep his or her identity unknown.
|
|
|
|
"In some cases, anonymity is a necessary security measure," said ACLU
|
|
attorney Beeson. "The personal safety of human rights dissidents, domestic
|
|
abuse victims, and whistle-blowers would be compromised if they could not
|
|
communicate anonymously."
|
|
|
|
Use of pseudonyms or anonymous identities also eliminates the potential for
|
|
discrimination and harassment according to gender or ethnicity, Beeson said,
|
|
and allows users to access controversial, embarrassing, or sensitive
|
|
information without revealing their identity. She added that in some cases
|
|
an online "handle" or pseudonym is assigned automatically by a commercial
|
|
online service such as Prodigy or Compuserve.
|
|
|
|
The complaint also states that the law may prohibit web links by making it
|
|
a crime to publish information "using" trade names, logos or other symbols,
|
|
again without regard to the nature of the use, and without any definition of
|
|
what constitutes "use" on a computer network.
|
|
|
|
According to Robert Costner of Electronic Frontiers Georgia, many websites
|
|
include links using trade names or logos as a means of providing information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The EFGA site, he noted, provides a link to the BellSouth web page to
|
|
assist other Internet users in contacting BellSouth about a recent rate increase
|
|
request for ISDN telephone service. Given the new technological context of
|
|
the Internet and unique "linking" feature of web pages, Costner explained,
|
|
even this type of grass roots news advisory over the Internet could now be
|
|
illegal in Georgia.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Plaintiffs
|
|
|
|
The 14 plaintiffs and organizations named in the suit all expressed concern
|
|
that the law would prohibit them -- at risk of jail or fines -- from using
|
|
pseudonyms to protect their privacy, communicate sensitive information and
|
|
defend themselves against harassment if their identities were known on the
|
|
Net.
|
|
|
|
For instance, the Atlanta Veterans Alliance, a Georgia-based organization
|
|
for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered veterans, said the law would
|
|
risk disclosure of the identity of AVA members who remain in active military
|
|
service. Such disclosure would likely end their military careers.
|
|
|
|
Another plaintiff, Josh Riley, an Atlanta-based realtor, operates two
|
|
Internet websites that contain many links to other websites of interest,
|
|
often using corporate logos and trademarks without specific permission. His
|
|
award-winning web page, www.blackbaseball.com, contains information on the
|
|
Negro Baseball Leagues, including links to a site on an HBO movie "Soul of
|
|
the Game."
|
|
|
|
Mr. Riley said he believes it would be impossible as a practical matter to
|
|
obtain permission for every link in his site, even though he is confident
|
|
that all of the companies and organizations would give permission if they
|
|
were asked.
|
|
|
|
Certain plaintiffs also expressed concern that loss of anonymity would put
|
|
them and others at risk. Plaintiff Community ConneXion, an Internet Service
|
|
Provider, specializes in providing the highest level of privacy to online
|
|
users. The group recently developed a service known as the Anonymizer, which
|
|
enables any Internet user to browse and retrieve documents anonymously.
|
|
|
|
Sameer Parekh, President of Community ConneXion, said that organizations
|
|
and individuals around the world use their services to protect them from
|
|
oppressive governments, invasive marketing databases and harassment online.
|
|
He said the Georgia law may force the group to choose between shutting down
|
|
its services or risking prosecution.
|
|
|
|
Lawyers representing the 14 plaintiffs are: J. Scott McClain (as volunteer
|
|
attorney) of the Atlanta firm of Bondurant, Mixson and Elmore; Ann Beeson
|
|
and Christopher Hansen of the national American Civil Liberties Union; and
|
|
Gerald Weber, staff attorney with the ACLU of Georgia.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Note to Editors: For more information on ACLU of Georgia et al. v. Miller et
|
|
al., visit these online sites: EFGA - http://www.efga.org. (EFGA will be
|
|
providing RealAudio of the news conference.)
|
|
ACLU - http://www.aclu.org and via America Online at keyword: ACLU.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 96 06:39:28 PDT
|
|
From: olcay@LIBTECH.COM(olcay cirit)
|
|
Subject: File 5--Re: Microsoft lies, damned lies, and statistics
|
|
|
|
>I went to the Microsoft home page, and found that the entire study by
|
|
>Usability Sciences Corporation is available online. I was looking at
|
|
>their research methodology --- do you know what their sample
|
|
>population was? *NEW* users. That is, people who had never used an
|
|
>Internet browser before.
|
|
|
|
I don't see how else the study could have been fair.
|
|
|
|
>By dropping the qualifer that these were new users, Microsoft is
|
|
>being intentionally misleading and deceitful.
|
|
|
|
Seasoned users like me are biased: we have emotional attachments to the
|
|
software that we use. I would have picked netscape no matter what.
|
|
David, be honest, even if IE 3.0 was unequivocally better than
|
|
Netscape, wouldn't you do the same?
|
|
|
|
Although I hate to protect Microsoft, new users are generally the least
|
|
opinionated.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Date: Wed, 18 Sep 1996 14:00:02 -0800
|
|
From: Michael Brennan <mikeb@AMGEN.COM>
|
|
Subject: File 6--Re: Microsoft lies, damned lies, and statistics (in CuD)
|
|
|
|
Regarding Microsoft's deceptive tactics in marketing Internet
|
|
Exporer (IE)...
|
|
|
|
I'm surprised no one has been making a stink over Microsoft's
|
|
blatant propagandizing via MSNBC, the new cable channel it partly
|
|
owns. The channel masquerades as an objective unbiased Internet
|
|
"news" channel, but it has repeatedly aired lies in Microsoft's
|
|
favor.
|
|
|
|
For instance, I recently saw a "comparison" of the leading web
|
|
browsers (Netscape and IE) that was anything but objective. Guess
|
|
which one they rated as easiest to use and most full-featured?
|
|
|
|
What was infuriating about the show (apart fromt he fact that many
|
|
viewers who don't know any better will accept it as fact) was that
|
|
it blatantly lied about Netscape's feature set. For instance, one
|
|
"advantage" it claimed IE has over Netscape is that IE lets you
|
|
hierarchically organize your bookmarks. They neglected to mention
|
|
that Netscape also lets you hierarchically organize your bookmarks.
|
|
|
|
I'm surprised Netscape (nor anyone else) has made a stink to the FCC
|
|
about this glorified infomercial masquerading as a news channel.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Date: Tue, 01 Oct 96 11:55:01 -0400 Eastern
|
|
From: adventure.man@glib.org
|
|
Subject: File 7--Response to Michael Bernard/Microsoft's Methodology
|
|
|
|
TO: Microsoft's Michael Bernard ---
|
|
|
|
|
|
You STILL don't get it! I'm replying to your message in Computer
|
|
underground Digest Sun Sep 29, 1996 Volume 8 : Issue 69.
|
|
[Regrettably, you declined to provide your email address.]
|
|
|
|
Your promotional misinterpretation of the results of your so-called
|
|
Internet Explorer usability study continues.
|
|
|
|
In your response to David Smith, you said "It should have stated
|
|
that 'four out of five new Web users prefer Microsoft Internet
|
|
Explorer to Netscape Navigator.'"
|
|
|
|
This statement of yours remains blatantly erroneous. I would
|
|
appreciate your rectifying your promotion of this study to make
|
|
clear that the results pertain only to Windows 95 users, and
|
|
specifically only to those Windows 95 users not feeling hostility
|
|
towards Microsoft Corporation (per the test protocol).
|
|
|
|
As a devoted Macintosh enthusiast, the assumption underlying your
|
|
remarks that all Web users are Windows 95 users is exceedingly
|
|
galling (especially since Macintosh users have a disproportionately
|
|
large net presence).
|
|
|
|
|
|
Warren Potas
|
|
adventure.man@glib.org
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 10:12:19 +0000
|
|
From: "mediacentre@architechs.com" <mediacentre@inin.co.uk>
|
|
Subject: File 8--Channel WoW Broadcasts Live ON THE Internet
|
|
|
|
CHANNEL WoW BROADCASTS LIVE ON THE INTERNET
|
|
|
|
Channel WoW presents Canvas live in person and on the Internet. To
|
|
celebrate the first anniversary of the launch of the Kirklees Media
|
|
Centre a unique collaboration of Huddersfield technicians, musicians
|
|
and poets are working together to produce a multimedia performance
|
|
that will be broadcast via the Internet. Creating a heady mixture of
|
|
songs poetry and musical improvisation Canvas' performance will be
|
|
broadcast live on the Internet from the Window on the World Cyber
|
|
Bar. This will allow those not able to be at the Cyber bar for the
|
|
actual event to `virtually' hear the performance in their own home
|
|
anywhere in the world.
|
|
|
|
The performance will be simultaneously loaded on to a web site where
|
|
anyone with a multimedia computer and an internet connection will be
|
|
able to down load the performance almost as it happens. A specially
|
|
constructed website will be set up which will also feature examples
|
|
of the poets work as well as the performance itself. Artists
|
|
involved include renowned poets Milner Place, John Bosley, Steph
|
|
Bowgett. This initiative of the Kirklees Media Centre will be the
|
|
first of many events where Channel WoW will broadcast live
|
|
performances via the Internet.
|
|
|
|
This event has been kindly sponsored by Yorkshire & Humberside Arts,
|
|
Wards Brewery, Architechs IT and Kirklees Council Date and Venue:
|
|
8pm - Saturday October 19th - Window on the World Cyber bar,
|
|
Kirklees Media Centre, 7 Northumberland Street, Huddersfield.
|
|
Admission: Strictly limited but only stlg2 and stlg1 for
|
|
concessions Web address: Channel WoW will be available from October
|
|
19th at http://www.architechs.com/ChaWoW
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Date: Wed, 02 Oct 1996 23:57:35 -0700
|
|
From: William Church <wchurch@RICOCHET.NET>
|
|
Subject: File 9--Re: Call for Papers: The Jrnl of IWAR Intel. Acquisition
|
|
|
|
Call For Papers
|
|
|
|
The Journal of IWAR Intelligence Acquisition requests the submission of
|
|
papers for its first issue in the Spring of 1997.
|
|
|
|
The Journal of IWAR Intelligence Acquisition is a quarterly electronic
|
|
journal focussing on the methodology and status of developing
|
|
International Information Warfare Intelligence Sources. Information
|
|
Warfare, for the purpose of this journal, is defined as the hostile
|
|
activity or implied threat of gaining unauthorized access to operating
|
|
systems, information, transmission points and methods, and the
|
|
utilization of that access/threat to gain a demonstrated leverage over
|
|
that target or other targets.
|
|
|
|
The direction of the journal is to assist the International Information
|
|
Security Community in its movement from a largely reactive stance to
|
|
proactive identification and cancellation of threats.
|
|
|
|
Papers should be 2,000 to 4,000 words and submitted electronically as
|
|
ASCII text. Suggested areas of interest are:
|
|
|
|
The Intelligence Community Reorganization Act: Will Information Warfare
|
|
Intelligence Acquisition Get Lost in the Shuffle.
|
|
|
|
The European Union Model for Intelligence Acquisition in Information
|
|
Warfare.
|
|
|
|
Matching the Critical Information Infrastructure Security Demands to
|
|
Intelligence Gathering.
|
|
|
|
A Suggested Taxology for the IWAR Threat Community: Hackers, Political
|
|
Agents, Economic Agents, and Unidentified Agents.
|
|
|
|
Moving From Reactive to Proactive Threat Assessment: Putting Meaning to
|
|
Systemic Incursions.
|
|
|
|
The Rand Corporation's "Day After.." exercise: Is a Global Threat a
|
|
Reality?
|
|
|
|
Deadline for Submission: December 15, 1996
|
|
Attention: William <wchurch@ricochet.net
|
|
|
|
The Journal of IWAR Intelligence Acquisition is available without charge
|
|
to qualified subscribers.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1996 22:51:01 CST
|
|
From: CuD Moderators <cudigest@sun.soci.niu.edu>
|
|
Subject: File 10--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 7 Apr, 1996)
|
|
|
|
Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are
|
|
available at no cost electronically.
|
|
|
|
CuD is available as a Usenet newsgroup: comp.society.cu-digest
|
|
|
|
Or, to subscribe, send post with this in the "Subject:: line:
|
|
|
|
SUBSCRIBE CU-DIGEST
|
|
Send the message to: cu-digest-request@weber.ucsd.edu
|
|
|
|
DO NOT SEND SUBSCRIPTIONS TO THE MODERATORS.
|
|
|
|
The editors may be contacted by voice (815-753-0303), fax (815-753-6302)
|
|
or U.S. mail at: Jim Thomas, Department of Sociology, NIU, DeKalb, IL
|
|
60115, USA.
|
|
|
|
To UNSUB, send a one-line message: UNSUB CU-DIGEST
|
|
Send it to CU-DIGEST-REQUEST@WEBER.UCSD.EDU
|
|
(NOTE: The address you unsub must correspond to your From: line)
|
|
|
|
Issues of CuD can also be found in the Usenet comp.society.cu-digest
|
|
news group; on CompuServe in DL0 and DL4 of the IBMBBS SIG, DL1 of
|
|
LAWSIG, and DL1 of TELECOM; on GEnie in the PF*NPC RT
|
|
libraries and in the VIRUS/SECURITY library; from America Online in
|
|
the PC Telecom forum under "computing newsletters;"
|
|
On Delphi in the General Discussion database of the Internet SIG;
|
|
on RIPCO BBS (312) 528-5020 (and via Ripco on internet);
|
|
and on Rune Stone BBS (IIRGWHQ) (860)-585-9638.
|
|
CuD is also available via Fidonet File Request from
|
|
1:11/70; unlisted nodes and points welcome.
|
|
|
|
EUROPE: In BELGIUM: Virtual Access BBS: +32-69-844-019 (ringdown)
|
|
In ITALY: ZERO! BBS: +39-11-6507540
|
|
In LUXEMBOURG: ComNet BBS: +352-466893
|
|
|
|
UNITED STATES: etext.archive.umich.edu (192.131.22.8) in /pub/CuD/CuD
|
|
ftp.eff.org (192.88.144.4) in /pub/Publications/CuD/
|
|
aql.gatech.edu (128.61.10.53) in /pub/eff/cud/
|
|
world.std.com in /src/wuarchive/doc/EFF/Publications/CuD/
|
|
wuarchive.wustl.edu in /doc/EFF/Publications/CuD/
|
|
EUROPE: nic.funet.fi in pub/doc/CuD/CuD/ (Finland)
|
|
ftp.warwick.ac.uk in pub/cud/ (United Kingdom)
|
|
|
|
|
|
The most recent issues of CuD can be obtained from the
|
|
Cu Digest WWW site at:
|
|
URL: http://www.soci.niu.edu/~cudigest/
|
|
|
|
COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing
|
|
information among computerists and to the presentation and debate of
|
|
diverse views. CuD material may be reprinted for non-profit as long
|
|
as the source is cited. Authors hold a presumptive copyright, and
|
|
they should be contacted for reprint permission. It is assumed that
|
|
non-personal mail to the moderators may be reprinted unless otherwise
|
|
specified. Readers are encouraged to submit reasoned articles
|
|
relating to computer culture and communication. Articles are
|
|
preferred to short responses. Please avoid quoting previous posts
|
|
unless absolutely necessary.
|
|
|
|
DISCLAIMER: The views represented herein do not necessarily represent
|
|
the views of the moderators. Digest contributors assume all
|
|
responsibility for ensuring that articles submitted do not
|
|
violate copyright protections.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
End of Computer Underground Digest #8.71
|
|
************************************
|
|
|