NEWS ITEMS - 1999
UK Crypto Policy Secrets
Revealed - See the Freedom
of Information Files Section
- July 6,
1999
- The Parliamentary Ombudsman ( the Parliamentary
Commissioner for Administration) published its report in
relation to the UK Government Encryption Policy and
access to documents related to such policy through the
Department of Trade and Industry (Case No.A23/99). The
DTI refused to release information relating to the
development of encryption policy. See http://www.parliament.ombudsman.org.uk/pca/document/hc21/hc21-04.pdf
or http://cryptome.org/dti-mrj.htm
See further the Freedom of Information Pages of
Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK) at http://www.cyber-rights.org/foia/
- The US Court of Appeals held that the Child Pornography
Prevention Act (CPPA) is unconstitutional to the extent
that it proscribes computer images that do not involve
the use of real children in their production or
dissemination. For details see http://www.cyber-rights.org/reports/uscases.htm
- UPDATE: Electronic
Communications Bill published and Key escrow is dead, 19 November 1999: See
http://www.cyber-rights.org/crypto/
for details --- On 17 November, 1999 the Queen’s
Speech introduced two new Bills related to encryption and
e-commerce, which include the introduction of the
Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill through the Home
Office.
- UPDATE:
CompuServe Ex-Official's(Felix Somm) Conviction Reversed:
The former head of CompuServe Corp.'s German
operations, who was convicted last year of allowing
distribution of child pornography on the Internet, had
the verdict reversed by a German state court, the
Associated Press reported. November 17, 1999.
See http://www.cyber-rights.org/isps/somm-dec.htm
- ACLU Launches ECHELON Watch
Website (16 November, 1999): The American Civil
Liberties Union, in conjunction with Omega
Foundation,EPIC, and CR&CL(UK) has launched a new web
site at http://www.echelonwatch.org, which is designed to focus public attention on
the threats to civil liberties which are posed by Project
ECHELON. See further http://www.cyber-rights.org/interception/echelon/
- An Open Letter to the Internet Engineering Task
Force: A letter which urges the
IETF not to adopt new protocols or modify existing
protocols to facilitate eavesdropping was sent on 08
November, 1999 by a group of academics, security
experts, lawyers, and civil liberties activists. Based on
our expertise in the fields of computer security,
cryptography, law, and policy, we believe that such a
development would harm network security, result in more
illegal activities, diminish users' privacy, stifle
innovation, and impose significant costs on developers of
communications. At the same time, it is likely that
Internet surveillance protocols would provide little or
no real benefit for law enforcement. See the letter at http://www.cyber-rights.org/interception/ietf-letter.htm
- Cyber Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK)
Memorandum for the Internet Content Summit 1999, 9
September, 1999, at http://www.cyber-rights.org/reports/summit99.htm.
The press release for this statement is here.
- See the decision in the R v Graham
Waddon case involving the UK Obscene Publications Act and
the Internet at http://www.cyber-rights.org/documents/
- Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK) response to
the Home Office Consultation paper on Interception of
Communications in the UK (CM 4368), 12 August 1999, at http://www.cyber-rights.org/reports/ioca99-response.htm
For further information and for the press release see the
Interception
of Communications section
- Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK) sent an Open Letter on the
controversial Electronic Communications Bill to IBM and
BT, 5 August, 1999, at http://www.cyber-rights.org/reports/ibmbt-letter.htm. A PDF version of this letter is
also available at http://www.cyber-rights.org/reports/ibmbt.pdf
- New Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK) report
launched: "Could
New Chip Privacy and Security Measures Tie Users’
Hands?" 08 July 1999.
See also the press
release for this report.
- The Home Office published the Interception of
Communications in the United Kingdom: A Consultation
Paper, June 1999, CM 4368.
See the Interception
of Communications section. 22 June, 1999.
- Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK) Response to
the Cabinet Office Report: Encryption and Law
Enforcement, 15 June 1999,
at http://www.cyber-rights.org/reports/blair-letter.htm.
See also the press
release related to this letter wich
was sent to The Right Honourable Tony Blair, PC, MP, The
Prime Minister on 14 June, 1999. A PDF version of this
response is available at http://www.cyber-rights.org/reports/blair-letter.pdf.
- Further developments in the Godfrey v. Demon
Internet libel case: Read the BBC
coverage for further information. June 9, 1999
- The House of Commons Select Committee on Trade
and Industry, "Report on Building Confidence in
Electronic Commerce: The Government’s
Proposals," HC 187, seventh report of session
1998-99, 19 May, 1999 is now available. See Crypto
Policy and Privacy pages.
- Two new sections are launched: See both the Interception
of Communications and European
Union Watch sections.
- A report by the Cabinet Office entitled
"Encryption and Law Enforcement" is published
in May 1999. This is a Performance and Innovation Unit
May 1999 Report and the task force concluded that no
single technique or system was likely to be enough to
sustain law enforcement capabilities in the face of
rising use of encryption by criminals. For the report,
see Crypto
Policy and Privacy pages.
- Cyber-Rights &
Cyber-Liberties (UK) Response to the March
1999 DTI Paper: Building Confidence in Electronic
Commerce - A Consultation Document, 1 April, 1999.
- UK ISP found liable for
defamation: A High Court Judge found Demon Internet
liable for defamation under the Defamation Act 1996.
Read the press release to find why such a decision
would make Britain a hostile place for network
development in the Information Age.
The decision of the High Court in
the Laurence Godfrey v Demon Internet is here. - 26 March 1999
- Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK) gives oral
evidence to a House of Commons Trade and Industry Select
Committee on Electronic Commerce Inquiry, 09 March 1999. Following
the submission of a Memorandum
in February 1999, the representatives of CR&CL(UK)
has been invited to give oral evidence on 09 March, 1999.
Read the press
release for further information.
- Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK), "Report
on the Intel PIII Processor Serial Number Feature,"
by Dr. Brian Gladman, Technology Policy
Adviser, 24 February
1999, at http://www.cyber-rights.org/reports/intel-rep.htm.
Press release for this report is here.
- Cyber-Rights
& Cyber-Liberties (UK) question the IWF review
process, February 10, 1999
- A new Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties (UK)
report released,
"Who Watches the Watchmen:
Part III - ISP Capabilities for the Provision of Personal
Information to the Police," February 1999, at http://www.cyber-rights.org/privacy/watchmen-iii.htm
- CR&CL (UK) Press
Release - "UK Internet Users are concerned about
their Privacy" November
27, 1998.
Cyber-Rights &
Cyber-Liberties (UK) developed
a "privacy letter" to be
sent by UK Internet users to their ISPs. The privacy
letter has been finalised following extensive discussion
within the cyber-rights-UK Mailing List in November 1998.
See the responses to the privacy letter here.
Last Updated 21
January, 1999.
Policy Issues and Special Sections
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¦ Broxtowe Case, 'The JET Report' and
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¦ Documents,
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Info on Hate Speech Related Material on the Internet ¦
American Civil Liberties Union v Reno
case related materials ¦
ISPs and Privacy Concerns