Coalition Targets Consumers For Encryption Vote

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March 04, 1998 (4:35 PM EST)

Coalition Targets Consumers For Encryption Vote

By Mary Mosquera,

A new coalition of industry and interest groups wants to get American voters fired up over a word many have never even heard -- encryption.

On Wednesday, Americans for Computer Privacy (ACP) launched a campaign designed to sway public opinion against government limits on the export of encryption technology. Encryption is used to protect online information, but law enforcement authorities worry that the export of very strong encryption could lead to its use by terrorists in committing crimes.

Americans for Computer Privacy is comprised of 28 trade associations and 70 corporations in the technology, financial services, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. It also has the support of several members of Congress, as well as former CIA and FBI directors. Congress is scheduled to consider encryption legislation this session.

The group supports the Security and Freedom Through Encryption Act, a House bill that would make U.S. encryption products freely available overseas and block an FBI proposal to set up a third-party key holder to encrypt data.

The bill has passed review by several committees and will go to the House Rules Committee "at the appropriate time," said sponsor Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va).

Attorney Jack Quinn of the Washington, D.C., law firm Arnold and Porter, who is advising ACP, said the FBI's proposal for a key to unscramble data won't be accepted by the general public. "You wouldn't turn over keys to the front door to the government; we don't want to turn over keys to our computers," he said.

The coalition's executive director, Ed Gillespie, said it will begin an advertising campaign to educate the average consumer about the importance of encryption in daily life.

"It's a medical records issue; it's a taxpayer protection issue; it's a crime deterrent issue; it's a jobs issue; it's a competitiveness issue," Gillespie said.

The ACP's ad campaign was created by the developers of the "Harry and Louise" television ads, which helped turn public sentiment against President Clinton's health care reform proposals in 1993.

The White House, which supports export controls and the FBI proposal, informed ACP on Wednesday that it is willing to help forge a balanced encryption policy, Quinn said.

According to the ACP, which counts Microsoft, Intel, and Sun as members, restricting the export of strong encryption technology only hurts U.S. competitiveness. "Those products already exist outside of the country," said Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.).