Badpuppy Gay Today

Monday, 31 March, 1997

Failing its attempt to choke the free flow of information on the Internet, the Clinton Administration has been properly rebuffed by twenty-nine leading industrial nations which have refused to buckle under to a U.S. proposal that would allow eavesdropping by world-wide law-enforcement agencies.

"While Vice-president Gore and First Lady Hillary have been circling the globe and talking about human rights, democracy and the like," said Martha Fellsmere, a long-time champion of a free-wheeling Internet, "American diplomats have been attempting, simultaneously, to restrict citizens' privacy as well as their 1st amendment freedoms, particularly the privacy that affects millions of U.S. Internet users. Once again, the president and his cohorts have proved that being a Democrat doesn't necessarily mean absolute devotion to the American ideal of free speech. I am outraged, and I hope all other liberty-loving Americans feel the same."

Britain and France were the only two nations, other than the U.S., which backed the Clinton administration's proposal, one that would have eliminated advanced data-scrambling technology that protects the privacy of E-mail. Reasons given for the proposal include a U.S. government desire to provide law enforcement officials a "necessary" opening to crack privacy codes used by criminals and terrorists. Mathematical cracking codes would have been passed by a global accord had the Democratic administration's proposal been successful, giving permission to international agents who have first obtained court OK's, to invade the privacy of any suspect-user.

Following the failure of the proposal internationally, the Internet battle has now quickly moved to U.S. soil. An alert has been issued by such organizations as the Center for Democracy and Technology, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Voters Telecommunication Watch and WIRED Magazine, which says that the "Crypto Battle Has Begun! "

On March 26th, according to a combined release from these organizations, "the Clinton Administration proposed draft legislation which would, for the first time, impose DOMESTIC RESTRICTIONS on the ability of Americans to protect their privacy and security on-line."

"In its current form," say the administration's opponents, "the draft bill seeks to impose a risky 'key recovery' regime which would compel American citizens to ensure government access to their private communications. Law enforcement and national security agents would not even need a court order to access private decryption keys," says the release.

To protect one's privacy on-line, according to the crypto Alert, each user may wish to join the increasing ranks of the Internet's freedom fighters and to prepare for the battle "that lies ahead of us in Congress." The time to blast Congress or the White House with phone calls and E-mails begins today, March 31st, according to the alert. Those who would voice their opinions may wish to call the White House.

Internet public interest advocates are continuing to work on Capitol Hill in support of three reform bills which, reportedly, do not interfere with traditional American freedoms, namely, Pro-Code, SAFE and ECPA II.

Information about supporting organizations which have signaled their intent to advance free-Internet efforts, is available from (1.) Center For Democracy and Technology (http://www.cdt.org); (2.) Electronic Frontier Foundation (http://www.eff.org); (3.) Voters Telecommunications Watch (http://www.vtw.org) and (4.) WIRED Magazine (http://www.wired.com).