The 33 signatories to the Wassenaar arrangement, which limits the export of armaments, have agreed to stricter controls on mass market cryptography. In an interview with Reuters, the US special envoy for cryptography David Aaron claimed this as a victory. The United States has a long history of banning exports of encryption software. Until now, its efforts to persuade other countries to impose similar bans have been largely unsuccessful. Aaron explained that the Wassenaar countries have continued export controls on encryption products but have closed a loophole which exempted software that is already widely available. Specifically excluded from the agreement is cryptographic software used to protect intellectual property, like songs or film clips, from being freely copied over the internet. The US – and now the other Wassenaar countries – are treading a delicate line between protecting the copyright held by large intellectual property owners like the music recording industry, and ensuring that private citizens have no access strong encryption that they might potentially use for nefarious purposes. Cryptographer Bruce Schneier believes that in extending export controls to mass market software, these nations have made a serious mistake. There’ll be less security in the world, Schneier explained, more opportunity for fraud, more opportunity for crime. If terrorists are targeting computer systems, it will be easier for them now. The US has always tried to convince other countries that it is their governmental duty to spy on people who are not convicted of anything, but this is the first time the government has said that you must make yourself available for police surveillance. Schneier says there is a widely held but mistaken belief that cryptography is a tool that criminals use. Privacy is essential to liberty and democracy, he said, to me it’s very scary to see it squandered in such a matter, to be told: ‘You citizens, we don’t trust you enough to give you privacy.’
