This is an important ALERT - not just for its content of showing Big Brother
in action, trying yet once more to take away your rights, but for showing
that ever more citizens are now teaming up to prevent that.
So far, when cyber-alerts against censorship were put out on the Net, activists
were pretty much restricted to the computer/internet industry crowd and
free speech advocates. In this alert, a new group has been added: "Americans
For Tax Reform."
I consider this a most significant development because the tax reform people
overlap and network with all kinds of other patriotic groups, all in revolt
against the Invisible Goverment. Many if not most of these patriotic activists
are staunch middle class, and some of them are very influential indeed.
Please act on this alert - and forward it, where appropriate, until September
28, 1997. BE SURE NOT TO DELETE OR ALTER ANY TEXT IN THIS ALERT!
Here it is:
This alert brought to you by The Voters Telecommunications Watch, The Center
for Democracy & Technology, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Wired
Magazine, and Americans for Tax Reform
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Table of Contents
Stop the Government From Building Big Brother Into The Internet What You
Can Do
-Please contact four leading members of Congress
Background About This Alert
_________________________________________________________________
STOP THE GOVERNMENT FROM BUILDING BIG BROTHER INTO THE INTERNET
In 1948, George Orwell described a future world in which Big Brother peaked
over the shoulder of every citizen -- watching every move and listening
to every word.
Now, in 1997, the FBI is pushing the United States Congress to pass legislation
which would make George Orwell's frightening vision a reality.
Next week the House Commerce Committee will meet to consider a proposal
that would require all Americans to provide the government guaranteed access
to their private online communications and business transactions. Taking
a page out of Orwell's 1984, the FBI-spawned proposal would require that
every part of the Internet -- from the software on your computer to the
network provider that carries your messages around the net -- be jury-rigged
to divulge your private conversations immediately on request by the FBI
(see below).
Unfortunately, this is not a work of fiction.
The amendment, to be offered by Representatives Mike Oxley (R-OH) and Thomas
Manton (D-NY), is a serious threat to your privacy and represents the first
and final step in the construction of a National Surveillance Infrastructure.
A vote is expected on September 25. The future of privacy and security in
the information age is in the hands of the Commerce Committee, and they
need to know that folks are watching and care about the outcome.
On Monday September 22, please join thousands of Internet users all across
the country as we call on Congress to stop big brother. With your help and
support, we can ensure that George Orwell's 1984 does not become a reality.
1. ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 22, pick up the phone and call as many of the four
leading members of the Commerce committee as you can:
Chairman Thomas Bliley (R-VA) (202) 225-2815
Ranking member John Dingell (D-MI) (202) 225-4071
Rep. Tauzin (R-LA) (202) 225-4031
Rep. Markey (D-MA) (202) 225-2836
2. Ask for the staffer that handles the encryption issue.
3. Say that you're calling to urge the Congressman to pass SAFE (HR695)
without amendments.
Specifically, say that you "OPPOSE THE OXLEY/MANTON BIG BROTHER AMENDMENT.
Americans should not be required to give the government keys to the front
door of their house, and they shouldn't be required to give the government
the keys to unlock their private online communications."
Other amendments may be proposed. Please urge the Congressman to pass SAFE
"as is" and oppose any amendments. Feel free to use your own words
though here are some points you might want to stress:
- Oxley/Manton is a dramatic expansion of law enforcement power. It would
give law enforcement "immediate" access to private online communications
and business transactions without any notice or knowledge to the user.
- Oxley/Manton is NOT A BALANCE BETWEEN PRIVACY INTERESTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
CONCERNS, as some supporters have argued. It gives the FBI broad new power
while stripping Americans of their Fourth Amendment right to be secure from
unreasonable searches and seizures.
- Oxley/Manton would give the Attorney General authority to dictate the
design of Internet services and software to suit the needs of law enforcement.
- Oxley/Manton would not stop crime. Strong encryption without "immediate
access" features is available today at home and abroad.
- Oxley/Manton would increase opportunities for cybercrime as criminal hackers
attack vulnerabilities in the key recovery access system.
4. Let us know how it went! Go to one of the following web pages, depending
on who you called, and tell us about the conversation.
The House Commerce Committee is considering a bill known as the "Security
and Freedom through Encryption Act" (HR 695, a.k.a. SAFE). SAFE would
encourage the widespread availability of strong, easy-to-use encryption
technologies in order to protect privacy and promote electronic commerce
on the Internet. SAFE enjoys broad support from Internet users, civil liberties
advocates, and over 250 members of Congress.
Last week, the Commerce Committee delayed its vote on the SAFE bill in order
to give the Committee more time to study the implications of the Oxley/Manton
amendment, which would change SAFE to ban encryption which does not contain
features that provide law enforcement with "immediate access"
to the plain text of encrypted information, including private communications
and business transactions (visit http://www.crypto.com/safe_bill/)
The Oxley/Manton amendment would for the first time impose sweeping restrictions
on the ability of American citizens to protect their privacy on US soil.
Specifically, the amendment would:
* PROHIBIT THE DOMESTIC MANUFACTURE AND SALE OF ENCRYPTION PRODUCTS OR SERVICES
WHICH DO NOT PROVIDE INSTANT ACCESS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT: The proposal would
prohibit the manufacture, sale, import, or distribution within the United
States of any encryption product unless it allows "immediate access"
to the plain text of any user's messages or files without the user's knowledge.
* GRANT BROAD NEW AUTHORITY FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO SET TECHNICAL STANDARDS
FOR ENCRYPTION PRODUCTS: The proposal allows the Attorney General to set
standards for what are and are not acceptable encryption products. The proposal's
requirement of immediate access to plain text would seem to seriously limit
the options available to encryption manufacturers seeking approval of their
products.
The amendment does not specify whether the immediate access "features"
could be activated (or not) at the option of the purchaser or end user.
Nonetheless, requiring that such a capability be installed in all domestic
communications networks and encryption products is the equivalent of enabling
a national surveillance infrastructure and asserts unprecedented control
over the design of Internet software, hardware, and services.
The amendment is analogous to the government requiring surveillance cameras
in every new house built in the United States, which could be turned on
remotely by the police if you were ever suspected of committing a crime.
Worse yet, such "key escrow" or "key recovery" technologies
pose significant risk to the security of the Internet -- providing new points
of vulnerability for hackers, terrorists, and industrial spies to exploit.
A recent study by 11 of the worlds leading cryptographers concluded that
the large scale deployment of such technologies would be too complex and
too insecure to meet the needs of an Information Age society (see http://www.crypto.com/key_study/)
Despite widespread opposition from Internet users, civil liberties groups,
privacy advocates, and the computer and communications industries, Oxley
and Manton plan to push for this FBI spawned amendment at the Commerce Committee
vote. If it is adopted, it would represent the first and final step in the
development of a national surveillance infrastructure.
This message was brought to you by the Center for Democracy and Technology
(http://www.cdt.org), the Voters Telecommunications Watch (http://www.vtw.org/),
the Electronic Frontier Foundation (http://www.eff.org/), Wired Magazine
(http://www.wired.com/), and Americans for Tax Reform (http://www.atr.org/)
who have joined together on this alert.
_________________________________________________________________ end alert
09.18.1997 net
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Thought for the Day:
"The tyranny of a prince in an oligarchy is not so dangerous to the
public welfare as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy".