🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1992Nov3.071335.2838@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> Joe.Francis@dartmouth.edu (Joe Francis) writes:
>In article <1992Nov2.084229.1@zodiac.rutgers.edu>
>leichter@zodiac.rutgers.edu writes:

>> How far would investigation of the S&L's
>> gone if they had encrypted their records, and had a right to refuse to reveal
>> the keys?

>I don't understand your examples.  Are they supposed to argue for the
>universal registration of all keys and encryption methods?  In some
>examples you give, it seems subpoenaing the key would suffice and would
>be consistent with current law.  In the S&L case (and for other
>regulated businesses) simply regulate that records the government may
>oversee not be encrypted, or that those keys must be registered, or
>subpoena the keys when necessary.

>Why paint with a broad brush when narrowly tailored and/or already
>existing law will accomplish the same ends with less controversy and
>preserve greater liberty?

There would have been little difference.  Corporations are required to
keep certain books, have them audited, etc., and have the records 
available.  Nothing now physically prevents such a firm from having
its bookkeeper keep the "real" books in a highly secret place, in such
a way that it is not available to anybody without major contortions, and
having a public set of books entirely different.  If, say, only the
bookkeeper and the CEO are even aware of it, and they can keep secrets,
how would the government even know about it?

It is only the law, and the insistence of officers in a firm, which
even require that anything like honest books be kept.  Make it too
hard to keep an accurate backup, and devices to at least have approximate
assessments of what really happened, and to give only a false image to the
public, will be produced.  Other than brainwashing those with information,
or some other procedure which gets out what they do not want to tell, will
get this information, anyhow.

-- 
Herman Rubin, Dept. of Statistics, Purdue Univ., West Lafayette IN47907-1399
Phone: (317)494-6054
hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Internet, bitnet)  
{purdue,pur-ee}!pop.stat!hrubin(UUCP)