March 3, 1998--Jerry Berman, Executive Director of the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), will join the roster of speakers tomorrow urging Congress to reject FBI demands for domestic as well as international controls on encryption technologies at a press conference to introduce Americans for Computer Privacy (ACP). A new broad-based coalition which includes CDT, Americans for Computer Privacy is forming to fight government controls on data-scrambling technologies because such technologies are essential for protecting privacy online.

"The great democratic potential of the Internet can only be realized if people trust the privacy and security of the network. Strong, user-controlled encryption is the only way to ensure that trust," said Berman. "CDT looks forward to making common cause with other public interest groups, companies, and organizations to fight government controls on the encryption that people use to protect themselves online."

FBI proposals under consideration by Congress would, for the first time, make it a crime to use encryption within the United States without back-door "key recovery" features that provide government access to a person's decryption keys without the knowledge or cooperation of that individual. Encryption programs developed by U.S. companies and sold outside U.S. borders would also be required to include key-recovery features. Government key recovery sytems have been widely attacked by technical experts and privacy advocates for creating new vulnerabilities and jeopardizing international communications that do not receive the protection of American laws.

"Government key recovery and other controls on encryption threaten individual privacy, network security, and our Constitutionally protected liberties," Berman added. "These controls leave our most sensitive information -- health records, financial transactions, the air traffic control system -- vulnerable to attack. The best way to protect privacy and security in the Information Age is to give individuals the chance to use whatever strong encryption products they need."

CDT is a leading voice in the critical public policy debates affecting the future of the Internet and other new communications media. CDT's efforts to develop and work for policies that advance civil iberties and democratic values for the Digital Age include, among other things, the promotion of sound federal laws relating to encryption technologies. For more information, see our Web site at http://www.cdt.org.