🚀 go-pugleaf

In <1992Oct27.231241.23112@shearson.com> pmetzger@snark.shearson.com (Perry E. Metzger) writes:

>The only thing needed to change the FBI's proposed built-in tap
>capability from something restrained by the need for court orders into
>something used as an instrument of opression and terror by a
>dictatorship would be a change of attitude towards the equipment and a
>little coup d'etat -- the technology would be sitting right there in
>their hands. The only thing needed to change the encrypted list of all
>private keys in the country into a similar instrument would be a
>similar change in attitude, but this time you could likely read
>people's old messages as well! This, of course, ignores the day to day
>abuse of our privacy that will doubtless occur. (I will point out for
>completeness that when our society is fully disarmed by the anti-gun
>nuts, all that will be required for the criminals to trample over us
>and loot at will is an emergency (like the recent hurricane in
>Florida) and all that will be required for our whole society to be
>held captive is a military coup. I realize, of course, that some
>people disagree with this last point, but then again some people like
>Dorothy Denning seem to think we should hand over to "trusted third
>parties" copies of our private keys, on the basis that "we can trust
>them -- after all, the government will protect us.")

Just in case people are wondering about a particular example of this
kind of thing already on the books, consider that people have died
because telephone companies keep records of long distance calls.

I have been told, in fact, that this is the major reason a number of
european phone systems don't do itemized phone bills -- people considered
the hassle of not being able to get misbillings corrected a reasonable
trade for life and liberty. (Which is pretty good, considering that in
the U.S. law enforcement doesn't even need a warrant to place a pen
register on your phone and records every number you dial -- including
voicemail passwords and such)

paul