WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Montana Senator Conrad Burns today reacted cautiously
to plans by the Clinton administration to loosen restrictions on exports
of stronger encryption for computer software and hardware. He also criticized
the White House for its failure to negotiate on the cornerstone of its proposals:
that companies must agree to "escrow" their decryption keys.
"I have no doubt that it was the pressure of Congress, high-tech companies
and privacy advocates that dragged the White House kicking and screaming
into agreeing that export restrictions should be eased," said Burns,
chief sponsor of the Pro-CODE bill, which would loosen restrictions on encryption
exports and prohibit government-mandated key escrow. "However, I can't
say I'm pleased with a process that has all but excluded Congress and the
public from the discussion.
"The administration's insistence on key escrow as a condition of lifting
these restrictions has never been negotiable." Meanwhile, what choice
do these companies have but to yield as their global competitiveness withers
on the vine?
"This plan raises even more questions than it answers, such as, what
about the widespread availability of much stronger encryption that which
is allowed by the White House? How do we deal with rapid changes in technology
that will inevitably render the 56-bit limit obsolete? The devil is definitely
in the details.
"This debate is not over by any stretch of the imagination. The administration
has prevented Congress from weighing in on this issue just as support was
building for a legislative solution. I intend to move forward with pro-encryption
legislation in the next Congress.
"I will also push for vigorous oversight of the administration's plan
in the Commerce Committee." The Senate Commerce Committee, of which
Burns is a member, has jurisdiction over the Commerce Department. The administration
has stated its intent to transfer export licensing authority over encryption
from the State Department to the Commerce Department.