ware of the need to enforce the encryption technology as a standard for civilian communications.The Clinton Administration was put under a lot of pressure. To help relieve some of the pressure, the administration met with “a consortium, including industry, civil liberty, and law enforcement groups, . . .”(Huffman 8). Their goal was to develop an encryption standard. After meeting with the administration, the industry group, which consisted of companies like Apple Computer, MCI Communications, and Microsoft, rejected a compromise proposal. They said the government was “unwilling to compromise: the government insisted on having a “back door” to any encryption used (Huffman 8).In March of 1997, the government tried again. The Clinton Administration introduced a proposal for the Electronic Data Security Act of 1997. The proposal would allow one to voluntarily register the decryption key with government-approved agents. The problem was, the proposal made it “. . . virtually impossible to participate in electronic commerce. . .” without registering the decryption key (Huffman 9). The Administration reached an extreme to secure its access to encrypted data. Obviously its attempts caused great controversy. The Government claims its nobleness in protecting society from the “bad guys” while others claim violations of their rights.Controversy Over Encryption PoliciesA Violation of Rights To Protect SocietyIt is evident that the government is trying anything possible to establish access to encrypted information. Some people argue that their constitutional rights are at risk if the government succeeds in controlling an encryption standard. As discussed before, electronic surveillance affects any person communicating with a person under surveillance; therefore, the non-targeted person’s privacy is invaded without just cause. This is a violation of their fourth Amendment right (ACLU 6). In ad...
