291 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
291 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
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From: clipper@csrc.ncsl.nist.gov (Clipper Chip \-[1]--[1]--[1]--[1]
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+ Announcement) -( )--[1]+-[1]
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[1] text of White House announcement and Q&As |-[1]
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+ on clipper chip encryption |-[1]+-[1]--[1]
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Organization: National Institute of Standards | \-[1]
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+ & Technology
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Note: This file will also be available via anonymous file
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transfer from csrc.ncsl.nist.gov in directory /pub/nistnews and
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via the NIST Computer Security BBS at 301-948-5717.
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---------------------------------------------------
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THE WHITE HOUSE
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Office of the Press Secretary
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_________________________________________________________________
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For Immediate Release April 16, 1993
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STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY
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The President today announced a new initiative that will bring
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the Federal Government together with industry in a voluntary
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program to improve the security and privacy of telephone
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communications while meeting the legitimate needs of law
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enforcement.
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The initiative will involve the creation of new products to
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accelerate the development and use of advanced and secure
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telecommunications networks and wireless communications links.
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For too long there has been little or no dialogue between our
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private sector and the law enforcement community to resolve the
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tension between economic vitality and the real challenges of
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protecting Americans. Rather than use technology to accommodate
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the sometimes competing interests of economic growth, privacy and
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law enforcement, previous policies have pitted government against
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industry and the rights of privacy against law enforcement.
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Sophisticated encryption technology has been used for years to
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protect electronic funds transfer. It is now being used to
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protect electronic mail and computer files. While encryption
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technology can help Americans protect business secrets and the
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unauthorized release of personal information, it also can be used
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by terrorists, drug dealers, and other criminals.
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A state-of-the-art microcircuit called the "Clipper Chip" has
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been developed by government engineers. The chip represents a
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new approach to encryption technology. It can be used in new,
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relatively inexpensive encryption devices that can be attached to
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an ordinary telephone. It scrambles telephone communications
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using an encryption algorithm that is more powerful than many in
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commercial use today.
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This new technology will help companies protect proprietary
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information, protect the privacy of personal phone conversations
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and prevent unauthorized release of data transmitted
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electronically. At the same time this technology preserves the
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ability of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to
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intercept lawfully the phone conversations of criminals.
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A "key-escrow" system will be established to ensure that the
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"Clipper Chip" is used to protect the privacy of law-abiding
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Americans. Each device containing the chip will have two unique
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2
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"keys," numbers that will be needed by authorized government
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agencies to decode messages encoded by the device. When the
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device is manufactured, the two keys will be deposited separately
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in two "key-escrow" data bases that will be established by the
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Attorney General. Access to these keys will be limited to
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government officials with legal authorization to conduct a
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wiretap.
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The "Clipper Chip" technology provides law enforcement with no
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new authorities to access the content of the private
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conversations of Americans.
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To demonstrate the effectiveness of this new technology, the
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Attorney General will soon purchase several thousand of the new
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devices. In addition, respected experts from outside the
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government will be offered access to the confidential details of
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the algorithm to assess its capabilities and publicly report
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their findings.
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The chip is an important step in addressing the problem of
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encryption's dual-edge sword: encryption helps to protect the
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privacy of individuals and industry, but it also can shield
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criminals and terrorists. We need the "Clipper Chip" and other
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approaches that can both provide law-abiding citizens with access
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to the encryption they need and prevent criminals from using it
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to hide their illegal activities. In order to assess technology
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trends and explore new approaches (like the key-escrow system),
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the President has directed government agencies to develop a
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comprehensive policy on encryption that accommodates:
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-- the privacy of our citizens, including the need to
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employ voice or data encryption for business purposes;
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-- the ability of authorized officials to access telephone
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calls and data, under proper court or other legal
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order, when necessary to protect our citizens;
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-- the effective and timely use of the most modern
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technology to build the National Information
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Infrastructure needed to promote economic growth and
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the competitiveness of American industry in the global
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marketplace; and
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-- the need of U.S. companies to manufacture and export
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high technology products.
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The President has directed early and frequent consultations with
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affected industries, the Congress and groups that advocate the
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privacy rights of individuals as policy options are developed.
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3
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The Administration is committed to working with the private
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sector to spur the development of a National Information
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Infrastructure which will use new telecommunications and computer
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technologies to give Americans unprecedented access to
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information. This infrastructure of high-speed networks
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("information superhighways") will transmit video, images, HDTV
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programming, and huge data files as easily as today's telephone
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system transmits voice.
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Since encryption technology will play an increasingly important
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role in that infrastructure, the Federal Government must act
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quickly to develop consistent, comprehensive policies regarding
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its use. The Administration is committed to policies that
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protect all Americans' right to privacy while also protecting
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them from those who break the law.
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Further information is provided in an accompanying fact sheet.
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The provisions of the President's directive to acquire the new
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encryption technology are also available.
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For additional details, call Mat Heyman, National Institute of
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Standards and Technology, (301) 975-2758.
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---------------------------------
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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVE
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Q: Does this approach expand the authority of government
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agencies to listen in on phone conversations?
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A: No. "Clipper Chip" technology provides law enforcement with
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no new authorities to access the content of the private
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conversations of Americans.
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Q: Suppose a law enforcement agency is conducting a wiretap on
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a drug smuggling ring and intercepts a conversation
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encrypted using the device. What would they have to do to
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decipher the message?
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A: They would have to obtain legal authorization, normally a
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court order, to do the wiretap in the first place. They
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would then present documentation of this authorization to
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the two entities responsible for safeguarding the keys and
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obtain the keys for the device being used by the drug
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smugglers. The key is split into two parts, which are
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stored separately in order to ensure the security of the key
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escrow system.
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Q: Who will run the key-escrow data banks?
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A: The two key-escrow data banks will be run by two independent
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entities. At this point, the Department of Justice and the
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Administration have yet to determine which agencies will
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oversee the key-escrow data banks.
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Q: How strong is the security in the device? How can I be sure
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how strong the security is?
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A: This system is more secure than many other voice encryption
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systems readily available today. While the algorithm will
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remain classified to protect the security of the key escrow
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system, we are willing to invite an independent panel of
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cryptography experts to evaluate the algorithm to assure all
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potential users that there are no unrecognized
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vulnerabilities.
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Q: Whose decision was it to propose this product?
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A: The National Security Council, the Justice Department, the
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Commerce Department, and other key agencies were involved in
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this decision. This approach has been endorsed by the
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President, the Vice President, and appropriate Cabinet
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officials.
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Q: Who was consulted? The Congress? Industry?
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A: We have on-going discussions with Congress and industry on
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encryption issues, and expect those discussions to intensify
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as we carry out our review of encryption policy. We have
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briefed members of Congress and industry leaders on the
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decisions related to this initiative.
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Q: Will the government provide the hardware to manufacturers?
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A: The government designed and developed the key access
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encryption microcircuits, but it is not providing the
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microcircuits to product manufacturers. Product
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manufacturers can acquire the microcircuits from the chip
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manufacturer that produces them.
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Q: Who provides the "Clipper Chip"?
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A: Mykotronx programs it at their facility in Torrance,
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California, and will sell the chip to encryption device
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manufacturers. The programming function could be licensed
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to other vendors in the future.
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Q: How do I buy one of these encryption devices?
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A: We expect several manufacturers to consider incorporating
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the "Clipper Chip" into their devices.
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Q: If the Administration were unable to find a technological
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solution like the one proposed, would the Administration be
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willing to use legal remedies to restrict access to more
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powerful encryption devices?
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A: This is a fundamental policy question which will be
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considered during the broad policy review. The key escrow
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mechanism will provide Americans with an encryption product
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that is more secure, more convenient, and less expensive
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than others readily available today, but it is just one
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piece of what must be the comprehensive approach to
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encryption technology, which the Administration is
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developing.
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The Administration is not saying, "since encryption
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threatens the public safety and effective law enforcement,
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we will prohibit it outright" (as some countries have
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effectively done); nor is the U.S. saying that "every
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American, as a matter of right, is entitled to an
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unbreakable commercial encryption product." There is a
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false "tension" created in the assessment that this issue is
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an "either-or" proposition. Rather, both concerns can be,
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and in fact are, harmoniously balanced through a reasoned,
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balanced approach such as is proposed with the "Clipper
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Chip" and similar encryption techniques.
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Q: What does this decision indicate about how the Clinton
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Administration's policy toward encryption will differ from
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that of the Bush Administration?
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A: It indicates that we understand the importance of encryption
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technology in telecommunications and computing and are
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committed to working with industry and public-interest
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groups to find innovative ways to protect Americans'
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privacy, help businesses to compete, and ensure that law
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enforcement agencies have the tools they need to fight crime
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and terrorism.
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Q: Will the devices be exportable? Will other devices that use
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the government hardware?
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A: Voice encryption devices are subject to export control
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requirements. Case-by-case review for each export is
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required to ensure appropriate use of these devices. The
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same is true for other encryption devices. One of the
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attractions of this technology is the protection it can give
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to U.S. companies operating at home and abroad. With this
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in mind, we expect export licenses will be granted on a
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case-by-case basis for U.S. companies seeking to use these
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devices to secure their own communications abroad. We plan
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to review the possibility of permitting wider exportability
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of these products.
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