AJC Weighs Encryption Technology And National Security Issues At DC Forum

American Jewish Committee
Thursday, 3 December 1998

The American Jewish Committee today issued the following statement in connection with an AJC forum held here on national security and privacy issues associated with encryption technology:

With increasing use of E-mail and the Internet, encryption technology has been developed and made commercially available to protect the integrity and privacy of information crossing its wires. In the wake of this development, however, serious concerns have been raised regarding the ability of terrorists, cyber-criminals and others to co-opt encryption technology to cloak and carry out their criminal activities. Some law enforcement and national security agencies are calling for the creation of mechanisms that will allow decoding of encrypted materials where a judicial authority is notified of the need to do so. A debate as to these proposals has emerged among advocates of privacy and civil liberties, the law enforcement and national security communities, and the technology industry. In all likelihood, Congress and the Administration will take up this matter during the 106th Congress.

Richard Foltin, Legislative Director and Counsel in the American Jewish Committee's Office of Government and International Affairs, commented: "The encryption issue poses difficult questions in reconciling national security concerns with the safeguarding of privacy interests and other civil liberties values. Of the range of such questions, perhaps the most crucial is whether there are technological remedies that will honor those values and -- at the same time -- enable swift, reliable and lawful access to information necessary for the prevention of planned terrorist activities."

The following panelists appeared at the forum, hosted by AJC President Bruce Ramer, to present a variety of views on the subject:

- William Reinsch, Under Secretary for Export Administration, Department of Commerce;

- Scott Charney, Section Chief, Computer Crime Division, Justice Department

- Beryl Howell, General Counsel, Senate Judiciary Committee;

- Patrick Murray, Chief Counsel, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence;

- Mark Rotenberg, Director, Electronic Privacy Information Center;

- Barry Smith, Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation;

- Jeff Smith, Counsel, Americans for Computer Privacy; and

- Gene Voegtlin, Legislative Counsel, International Association of Chiefs of Police

For more information, or to contact American Jewish Committee, see their website at: www.ajc.org