Politech: FC: Louis Freeh no longer runs FBI -- but still wants to ban crypto

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

http://news.com.com/2100-1023-961969.html

   Former FBI chief takes on encryption
   By Declan McCullagh 
   October 14, 2002, 12:39 PM PT

   When Louis Freeh ran the FBI, he loved nothing more than launching
   into a heartfelt rant against the dangers of encryption technology.
   
   In dozens of hearings and public speeches, the FBI director would urge
   Congress to limit encryption products, such as Web browsers and e-mail
   scrambling utilities, that did not include backdoors for government
   surveillance.
   
   Freeh didn't succeed. In fact, the Clinton administration veered in
   the opposite direction and eventually permitted, with few
   restrictions, the overseas shipments of data-scrambling products.

   But Freeh, who left the FBI in June 2001, hasn't given up. During an
   appearance before the Senate Intelligence committee last week, he
   warned that the political reality after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks
   means that it's time to reconsider what to do with encryption.

   [...]




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