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Australian Law Could Criminalize the Teaching of Encryption

Posted by Soulskill on from the technophobes-writing-laws dept.

New submitter petherfile writes: According to Daniel Mathews, new laws passed in Australia (but not yet in effect) could criminalize the teaching of encryption. He explains how a ridiculously broad law could effectively make any encryption stronger than 512 bits criminal if your client is not Australian. He says, "In short, the DSGL casts an extremely wide net, potentially catching open source privacy software, information security research and education, and the entire computer security industry in its snare. Most ridiculous, though, are some badly flawed technicalities. As I have argued before, the specifications are so imprecise that they potentially include a little algorithm you learned at primary school called division. If so, then division has become a potential weapon, and your calculator (or smartphone, computer, or any electronic device) is a potential delivery system for it."

2 of 208 comments (clear)

  1. That's good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    The Muslification of Australia means you now have more time to learn the koran.

  2. We have burgers & Hollywood, sure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    We also have Pasta & the BBC.

    That said, the yanks don't suicide bomb people like Muslims do. I'd rather like in America than a 3rd world muslim shithole.