Introductory remarks by Rep. Constance Morella, Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Technology 

The encryption debate has revolved around issues of industrial competitiveness, personal privacy, and the interests of national security and law enforcement. This congressional briefing was held to bring two more issues into the policy discussion: scientific freedom to conduct and express cryptographic research, and human rights applications of cryptographic technologies. 

The briefing was "cybercast" live over the Internet by Democracy.net, a joint project of the Center for Democracy and Technology and the Voters Telecommunications Watch designed to explore ways of enhancing citizens participation in the democratic process via the Internet. 

Visit the Democracy.net web site for the audio and video archive of the event. 

In 1994, Mr. Blaze discovered several weaknesses in the proposed "Clipper" key escrow system. His research areas include cryptology, trust management, and secure hardware. In 1996, he received the Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award for his contributions to computer and network security. 

• Cryptography Policy and the Information Economy

A draft paper by Matt Blaze, from December, 1996.

Called by The New York Times one of "the new watchdogs of digital commerce," Mr. Goldberg won an RSA Secret-Key Challenge for breaking the 40-bit encryption key in under 3.5 hours. He is currently working towards his Ph.D. and has played an instrumental role in publicizing numerous security flaws in computer network technology. 

• Text of Ian Goldberg's presentation slides.

Mr. Ball provides technical assistance in research design, information management, and information technology to human rights organizations in the U.S. and in other countries. He has worked with official truth commissions, UN monitoring missions, and non-government organizations in El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, South Africa, and Turkey. 

• Mr. Ball's presentation slides.
• Affidavit of Patrick Ball for ACLU court case.

Ms. PoKempner supervises advocacy on all matters of international law for Human Rights Watch, including establishing international legal tribunals, setting international standards, drafting legislation, and legal reform initiatives in various countries. She works mainly with the Asia division, and has conducted research on human rights in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and former Yugoslavia. 

• Briefing Paper: Encryption in the Service of Human Rights by Dinah PoKempner 

• AAAS Letter to Department of Commerce on implications of U.S. export controls of encryption for scientific freedom and human rights work, February 7, 1997.
• Letter from Curt Goering, Amnesty International USA
• Letter from Sylvia Alexander, Director of the Fund for Peace Human Rights Program

Founded in 1848, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), is the world's largest federation of scientific and engineering societies, with nearly 300 affiliates. In addition, AAAS counts more than 142,000 scientists, engineers, policymakers, and interested citizens among its individual members, making it the world's largest general scientific organization in the world. 

For more information about the science and human rights issues in the encryption debate, contact Patrick Ball (AAAS Science and Human Rights Program).

AAAS Directorate for Science & Policy Programs 
1200 New York Avenue, NW 
Washington, DC 20005 
Phone: 202/326-6600 Fax: 202/289-4950

Please direct any questions or comments about this web page to congress_center@aaas.org.