FYI: CPSR Seeks Clipper Documents

[Dave Farber <farber@central.cis.upenn.edu>]

                  CPSR Seeks Clipper Documents -
      Brings Suit Against NSA and National Security Council

     Washington, DC -- Computer Professionals for Social 
Responsibility filed suit today in federal district court seeking 
information about the government's controversial new cryptography 
proposal.  

     The "Clipper" proposal, announced by the White House at an 
April 16 press conference, is based on a technology developed by 
the National Security Agency that would allow the government to 
intercept computer encoded information.  Law enforcement agencies 
say that such a capability is necessary to protect court ordered 
wire surveillance.  

     But industry groups and civil liberties organizations have 
raised questions about the proposal.  They cite the risk of abuse, 
the potential loss in security and privacy, costs to US firms and 
consumers, and the difficulties of enforcing the policy.

     Marc Rotenberg, CPSR Washington office director, said "The 
Clipper plan was developed behind a veil of secrecy.  It is not 
enough for the White House to hold a few press conferences.  We 
need to know why the standard was developed, what alternatives 
were considered, and what the impact will be on privacy."

     "As the proposal currently stands, Clipper looks a lot like 
'desktop surveillance,'" added Rotenberg.

     David Sobel, CPSR Legal Counsel, said "CPSR is continuing its 
oversight of federal cryptography policy.  These decisions are too 
important to made in secret, without public review by all 
interested parties."

     In previous FOIA requests, CPSR obtained records from the 
General Services Administration questioning the FBI's digital 
telephony plan, a legislative proposal to require that 
communications companies to design wiretap capabilities into their 
systems..  More recently, CPSR obtained records through FOIA 
litigation revealing the involvement of the National Security 
Agency in the development of unclassified technical standards in 
violation of federal law.

     CPSR is a national membership organization, based in Palo 
Alto, CA.  Membership is open to the public.  For more information 
about CPSR, contact CPSR, P.O. Box 717, Palo Alto, CA 9403, 
415/322-3778 (tel), 415/322-3798 (fax), 415/322-3778 (tel), 415/322-3798 (fax), cpsr@cpsr.org.

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