Senator Backs Down On Crypto Backdoors

evenprime writes: " Sen. Judd Gregg (Republican, New Hampshire) was advocating mandatory backdoors in crypto on Sept. 13. Wired is now reporting that Sen. Gregg has changed his mind. They say that Gregg's spokesman, Brian Hart, has said: 'We are not working on an encryption bill and have no intention to.'" As Rob Carlson is quoted at the article's close, though: "(Gregg) said he was definitely supporting it. Now he says he's definitely not. Maybe he'll say he's definitely supporting it again."

Comments

Definitely

[bill.sheehan]

"(Gregg) said he was definitely supporting it. Now he says he's definitely not. Maybe he'll say he's definitely supporting it again."

Our beloved solons are sometimes wrong, but never in doubt.

he was supprised. probably. i guess

[Kruemelmo]

probably he was surprised that his IT department staff suddely smiled at him knowingly when passing by since he started an email flirt.

Re:Show of Hands

[fobbman]

Looks like those jpg's of Senator Gregg and his mistress that I intercepted and then attached to my recommendations that secure email encryption is a Good Thing seemed to have done the job.

Sometimes you've gotta relate to them on the lowest common denomenator.

Re:Encryption vs. "Secure"

[Urban_Exist_spork]

no... those "secure" transactions actually had tiny miniaturized guards travelling the internet to protect the actual data packet...

just like those "packet sniffers", which are just miniaturized hound dogs...

Re:Show of Hands

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe he finally checked his email. Somehow I don't think he's going to be looking at hand written letters for a while.

Judd Gregg

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

I am the only one to think this guy's name is awfully similar to Judge Dredd ?

IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM, THE WORLD CHANGED. CLIMATE, NATIONS, ALL WERE IN UPHEAVAL...THE INTERNET TRANSFORMED INTO A POISONOUS SCORCHED DESERT, KNOWN AS "THE CURSED EARTH"

MILLIONS OF SLASHDOTTERS CROWDED INTO A FEW MEGA ISPS. ISPS WHERE ROVING BANDS OF HACKERS CREATED VIOLENCE THE JUSTICE SYSTEM COULD NOT CONTROL. LAW AS WE KNOW IT COLLAPSED. FROM THE DECAY ROSE A NEW ORDER. A SOCIETY RULED BY A NEW 31337 FORCE.....A FORCE WITH THE POWER TO DISPENSE BOTH JUSTICE AND PUNISHMENT.... THEY WERE THE POLICE. JURY AND EXECUTIONER ALL IN ONE.

THEY WERE THE JUDDS.

Well this just makes things clearer

[Uttles]

Then:
Two days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Gregg strode onto the Senate floor and called for a global prohibition on data-scrambling products without backdoors for government surveillance.

Now:
"We are not working on an encryption bill and have no intention to," spokesman Brian Hart said in an interview.

It's obvious what happened. Somebody from the CIA phoned the senator and said "hey dumbass, we already can descramble all the encrypted messages, shut up about it already." At least that's my take on things.

Re:2 Good Things About the Anti-Terrorism Act

[Anonymous Coward]

as for rights, the only rights they're concerned about are their own

Seriously. For a laugh it's always fun to look at the RIAA's "Free Speech" website, where they talk about how explicit lyrics labels are okay but regulation is bad.

Re:a win for the U.S. System of Government

[kindbud]

Our entire system of government is designed to slow things down so that rash and unwise decisions don't get made too quickly.

You're right, it is much better if the rash and unwise decisions are made after a few weeks of deliberation.

Is it just me?

[crazyj]

Is it just me or did anyone else misread "Judd Gregg" as "Judge Dredd?" I wondered what in the hell Sylvester Stallone would know about software backdoors...

Re:I love politicians who change their mind when .

[1010011010]

Hmm... "shifty, closed-minded weasel without principles" does describe at least some of our Honorable Representatives... and, of course, Hilary Rosen, Jackie "The Fish" Valenti, and Ted Turner.