The Washington DC-based International Chamber of Commerce – it claims to represent business interests in over 100 countries has added its voice to the debate on how to control methods of data encryption. It has laid out three principles it sees as key to ensuring that encryption can be used effectively to secure communications. To […]
The Washington DC-based International Chamber of Commerce – it claims to represent business interests in over 100 countries has added its voice to the debate on how to control methods of data encryption. It has laid out three principles it sees as key to ensuring that encryption can be used effectively to secure communications. To start with, the Chamber feels that users should be free to implement existing generally accepted encryption methods, which must be open to public scrutiny. Users should also be free to implement encryption either in hardware or software, with a technical and economic choice about modes on implementation and operation. In addition, owners of these encryption methods should agree on the responsibility, accountability and liability for their systems. Finally, excepting military and diplomatic systems, encryption methods should not be subject to export or import controls, usage restrictions, licensing arrangements or other restrictions.