Making Encryption A Special Circumstance

heby writes "According to an article at SecurityFocus, the U.S. Justice Department is apparently planning to criminalize encryption when used during the commission of a felony under federal law. If you think you have nothing to worry about, think again. Have you ever filed too many tax deductions? If you use e-file via a web page using SSL for filing your taxes, under this proposal this becomes an additional five-year felony."

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In other news..

[GiMP]

In other news, private conversation has become a crime when used during the commision of a felony. Felonies commited with the aid of private conversations will carry an additional 5 years sentence.

Encryption and the masses

[astroboscope]

the U.S. Justice Department is apparently planning to criminalize encryption when used during the commission of a felony under federal law.

So now we'll be able to change the old saw of "only criminals encrypt" to "only criminals don't encrypt". ;-)

Seriously, would such a law really stop them from encrypting? Duh...no! The fact that the authorities are fighting encryption so hard is advertizing that it must be a good way of not getting caught.