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International Cryptography Campaign Update

24 September 1998

Introduction
GILC Member Statement
Press Coverage
Industry Support
National Coordinators
Links

Introduction

An International Campaign has been established to influence the current round of negotiations over the Wassenaar Arrangement. Among many other items the Wassenaar Arrangement covers restrictions on export of cryptography from the 33 nations which are signatory to the Arrangement. Technical experts are currently meeting in Vienna to discuss the arrangement. Some of the technical experts are proposing that export restrictions on strong cryptography should be tightened.

GILC Member Statement

On 15th September Members of the Global Internet Liberty Campaign issued a statement calling on the signatories to the Wassenaar Arrangement to remove controls over the export of cryptography. The statement argues that according to the stated aims of the Wassenaar Declaration it should not restrict the export of cryptography.

Press Coverage

Since the release of the GILC Member Declaration there has been press coverage of the campaign in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, the UK and the US.

Industry Support

Support for the GILC Member Declaration has been expressed by 23 companies and associations, who have "signed" the following statement:

We, the undersigned companies and associations support the Global Internet Liberty Campaign Member Statement of 15th September 1998 calling for the removal of cryptography export restrictions from the Wassenaar Arrangement. If your company or association wishes to "sign" the above support statement and you are authorised to sign statements on behalf of your company or association, please write to <[email protected]> giving your company or association name, web address and country.

National Coordinators

Since the beginning of the campaign we have been searching for people to coordinate the campaign in the 33 nations signatory to the Wassenaar Arrangement. To date we have coordinators in 16 of the 33 nations. We are still looking for coordinators in the remaining 17 countries. National coordinators are listed at <http://www.efa.org.au/wassenaar/country.html>. If you are interested in taking part in the campaign please contact your national coordinator. If there is not one in your country please consider taking on the role. If you want to, or know someone who might, please contact the International Campaign coordinator, Michael Baker <[email protected]>.

International Crypto Campaign