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Export Controls "Relaxed"
Mike Hudack
Editor-in-Chief
The Clinton administration relaxed crypto export controls today. Some newspapers and magazines heralded it as a "fantastic move on behalf of the technology industry." In fact the eased controls include slightly less red tape and 64-bit export grade crypto. That´s an eight bit improvement from the previous 56-bit standard.
The relaxed regulations don´t go nearly far enough according to most crypto experts. In fact, Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) has a bill pending in the House that would ease crypto restrictions by a lot more -- a lot of people are saying that this easement is supposed to take the wind out of Goodlatte´s sails. Goodlatte couldn´t be reached in time for this article but an aide seemed cautiously optimistic about the bill.
Perhaps most importantly, there´s a small little section hidden inside the bill that says that decrypted evidence can be used in court without revealing how it was decrypted. Here come the days of the federal attorney´s office calling the NSA!
Export control will still rest with the Commerce Department. The Commerce Department will of course continue to pass the buck to NSA.
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