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From: ray@ole.cdac.com (Ray Berry)
Newsgroups: sci.crypt
Subject: Clipper- business as usual?
Message-ID: <1993Apr20.173039.4722@ole.cdac.com>
Date: 20 Apr 93 17:30:39 GMT
Article-I.D.: ole.1993Apr20.173039.4722
Organization: Cascade Design Automation
Lines: 17


    Notwithstanding all the legitimate fuss about this proposal, how much
of a change is it?  ATT's last product in this area (a) was priced over
$1000, as I suspect 'clipper' phones will be; (b) came to the customer 
with the key automatically preregistered with government authorities. Thus,
aside from attempting to further legitimize and solidify the fed's posture,
Clipper seems to be "more of the same", rather than a new direction.
   Yes, technology will eventually drive the cost down and thereby promote
more widespread use- but at present, the man on the street is not going
to purchase a $1000 crypto telephone, especially when the guy on the other
end probably doesn't have one anyway.  Am I missing something?
   The real question is what the gov will do in a year or two when air-
tight voice privacy on a phone line is as close as your nearest pc.  That
has got to a problematic scenario for them, even if the extent of usage
never surpasses the 'underground' stature of PGP.
-- 
Ray Berry kb7ht ray@ole.cdac.com  rjberry@eskimo.com  73407.3152@compuserve.com
