They have tried just that: FBI Director Louis Freeh is the most outspoken advocate of encryption restrictions. He argues that the capability to conduct c

They have tried just that: FBI Director Louis Freeh is the most outspoken advocate of encryption restrictions. He argues that the capability to conduct court-authorized electronic surveillance should be built into any technology, including powerful encryption software. [1] One Freeh proposal is that all users of powerful encryption software be asked to turn over their keys to a third party, so that law-enforcement officials can gain access to them with a court order. Freeh's allies include his boss, Attorney General Janet Reno, and legislators including Rep. Gerald B.H. Solomon (R-N.Y.), the retiring chairman of the House Rules Committee. "Let there be no doubt," Reno wrote congressmen last year. "Without encryption safeguards, all Americans will be endangered." See also law enforcements contention that they are free to invasively check the data on any laptop or phone that crosses the border, etc. As always, child porn / blah blah blah (while not minimizing my concern for the children involved) is, as always, merely the excuse. This will, as always, be used for harassing people growing pot or civil rights protestors or to help beat hippies. [1] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/encryption/encryption.htm http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/encryp...