Key escrow in the UK

[Steven Ottenhoff]

Jeremiah Foster wrote:

>
> On Jul 29, 2005, at 2:40 PM, Gareth Bowker wrote:
>
>> On Fri, Jul 29, 2005 at 02:01:08PM +0200, Jeremiah Foster wrote:
>>
>>> On Jul 29, 2005, at 1:43 PM, Gareth Bowker wrote:
>>>
>>>> Why would they do that, if they knew their communications could now be
>>>> intercepted?
>>>
>>>
>>> True, those using private key encryption may move to another form of
>>> encryption, but is there another form of encryption as powerful and
>>> easily available?
>>
>>
>> What impetus would there be to move?
>
>
> They may feel compelled to use something to encrypt their 
> conversations perhaps.
>
>>
>>> It is not so much the interception of communications that the police
>>> are interested in, it is the decrypting of data on hard drives captured
>>> in raids of suspected bomber's homes. In other words, should the police
>>> have an escrowed key available for use only in situations where they
>>> have already convinced the court that a search warrant is necessary?
>>
>>
>> But again, why would they use it? There's *already* software which works
>> with no form of escrow. Why would anyone switch to using software which
>> allows anyone with the escrow key to decrypt their data, when there are
>> tools which work with no form of key escrow?
>>
> So your point is that since public key encryption software already 
> exists that belatedly forcing key escrow would have no effect, if I 
> understand you correctly?
>
> I think there are technical details involved in recovering previously 
> created public keys which I know nothing about. But presumably the 
> police feel there is a way to recover these keys and place them in 
> escrow.
>
> What I am concerned about is how we as a Free Software community, 
> concerned with privacy, should create policy. Do we want to state that 
> the police are invading people's privacy too much to demand private 
> key escrow? Is it not technically feasible now that PKE is already "in 
> the wild"? Should the FSFE have a position on the police's request?
>
I think freedom 0 can be applied: The purpose of  running a 
cryptographic program is to be able to choose who has access to your 
information.

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