In the latest rounds of the encryption battle royal, the Clinton administration's key escrow proposals have taken a beating - yet again.
In March, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released its "Guidelines for Cryptography Policy," a document outlining principles that will guide much of the industrial world. The OECD rejected the US approach, choosing instead to leave key escrow implementations to member nations.Meanwhile, back at home, the Clinton administration was caught flat-footed circulating draft legislation that would have the practical effect of compelling crypto users within the US to participate in a government-dominated key escrow scheme. A copy of the proposed law, euphemistically called the Electronic Data Security Act of 1997, was passed on to privacy advocates by sympathetic congressional staffers.
"The White House got caught with its pants down," says Jonah Seiger of the Center for Democracy and Technology. "The administration wants the Net to be built to its specifications, but that idea just isn't going to fly."
With opposition mounting, just a few more jabs could put key escrow down for the count.
ELECTRIC WORD
Black Eyes for Bill
