National Security and Export Controls
Welcome! The Encryption Policy Center is pleased to have you visit our little home on the web. Here you will learn about the wonderous world of encryption: what it means, why it matters, the history, the laws, and most importantly, the policy. The Encryption Policy Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public on the importance of encryption, along with informing our policy makers on how best to approach the problem and potential of encryption.
If this is your first time here, we encourage you to learn more about us and encryption by visiting our links on the left of the page. The front page will be updated regularly (not really) with news related to encryption. For a more in depth understanding of encryption, visit both the history and law pages. Finally, our center is dedicated towards creating practical encryption policy, the arguments for which can be found on our policy page.
Current News
- President Obama Announces Export Control Reforms at the Export-Import Bank's Annual Conference
On Thursday, March 11, 2010, President Obama spoke to the Export-Import Bank’s Annual Conference about proposed reforms in America’s export controls law. President Obama stressed that the proposed reforms would both strengthen our national security and enhance the competitiveness of key American industries. More...
- Treasury Department Issues
New General License to Boost Internet-Based Communication, Free Flow
of Information in Iran, Sudan and Cuba
On March 8, 2010, The Treasury department announced new general licenses to authorize exports from the United States to persons in Iran, Sudan and Cuba. The general licenses authorize the export of services and software related to the exchange of personal communications over the Internet. The licenses cover devices that facilitate web browsing, blogging, email, instant messaging, chatting, social networking and photo sharing. More...
- Encryption Top Priority
in Export Control Hearing
On March 19, 2010, The House Foreign Affairs Committee held the first of a series of hearings on export control reform. The chairman of the committee, Howard Berman, is planning to introduce a bill later this month that will overhaul federal export control law, including encryption law. More...
- North Carolina-Based Manufacturer
of Semiconductor Technologies Settles Charges of Export Violations and
False Statements
The Bureau of Industry and Security announced on August 14, 2009, that a North Carolina Company, RF Micro Devices, Inc., has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $190,000 to settle charges that it exported spread-spectrum modems in violation of Export control law. More...
Quotable
As is so often the case, however, there is another aspect to the encryption issue that if left unaddressed will have severe public safety and national security ramifications. Law enforcement is in unanimous agreement that the widespread use of robust non-key recovery encryption ultimately will devastate our ability to fight crime and prevent terrorism. Uncrackable encryption will allow drug lords, spies, terrorists and even violent gangs to communicate about their crimes and their conspiracies with impunity. We will lose one of the few remaining vulnerabilities of the worst criminals and terrorists upon which law enforcement depends to successfully investigate and often prevent the worst crimes. - Louis J. Freeh, Former Director of the FBI