The French Prime Minister today announced that due to the threat of
espionage and invasion of privacy France will allow encryption
strength up to 128 bits:
http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/PM/D190199.HTM
[Excerpt; Babelfish English below.]
(c) Le troisi�me chantier l�gislatif concerne la cryptologie.
Alors que se d�veloppent les moyens d'espionnage �lectronique, la
cryptologie appara�t comme un moyen essentiel pour prot�ger la
confidentialit� des �changes et la protection de la vie priv�e.
Nous avions, il y a un an, franchi un premier pas vers la
lib�ralisation des moyens de cryptologie. J'avais annonc� alors que
nous en franchirions un autre ult�rieurement. Le Gouvernement a,
depuis, entendu les acteurs, interrog� les experts et consult� ses
partenaires internationaux. Nous avons aujourd'hui acquis la
conviction que la l�gislation de 1996 n'est plus adapt�e. En effet,
elle restreint fortement l'usage de la cryptologie en France, sans
d'ailleurs permettre pour autant aux pouvoirs publics de lutter
efficacement contre des agissements criminels dont le chiffrement
pourrait faciliter la dissimulation.
Pour changer l'orientation de notre l�gislation, le Gouvernement a
donc retenu les orientations suivantes dont je me suis entretenu
avec le Pr�sident de la R�publique :
- offrir une libert� compl�te dans l'utilisation de la cryptologie ;
- supprimer le caract�re obligatoire du recours au tiers de confiance
pour le d�p�t des clefs de chiffrement ;
- compl�ter le dispositif juridique actuel par l'instauration
d'obligations, assorties de sanctions p�nales, concernant la remise
aux autorit�s judiciaires, lorsque celles-ci la demandent, de la
transcription en clair des documents chiffr�s. De m�me, les capacit�s
techniques des pouvoirs publics seront significativement renforc�es.
Changer la loi prendra plusieurs mois. Le Gouvernement a voulu que
les principales entraves qui p�sent sur les citoyens pour prot�ger la
confidentialit� de leurs �changes et sur le d�veloppement du commerce
�lectronique soient lev�es sans attendre. Ainsi, dans l'attente des
modifications l�gislatives annonc�es, le Gouvernement a d�cid� de
relever le seuil de la cryptologie dont l'utilisation est libre, de
40 bits � 128 bits, niveau consid�r� par les experts comme assurant
durablement une tr�s grande s�curit�.
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English translation by Babelfish:
(c) the third legislative building site relates to cryptology. Whereas
develop the means of electronic espionage, cryptology seems an average
essence to protect the confidentiality from the exchanges and protection
of the private life.
We had, one year ago, crossed a first step towards the liberalization
of the means of cryptology. I had announced whereas we would cross some
another later on. The Government, since, heard the actors, questioned
the experts and consulted its international partners. We acquired the
conviction today that the legislation of 1996 is not adapted any more.
Indeed, it strongly restricts the use of cryptology in France, without
allowing besides for the public authorities fighting as much effectively
against criminal intrigues whose encryption could facilitate the
dissimulation.
To change the orientation of our legislation, the Government thus
followed the following orientations of which I discussed with the
President the Republic:
- to offer a freedom supplements in the use of cryptology;
- to remove the obligatory character of the recourse to the third of
confidence for the deposit of the keys of encryption;
- to supplement the current legal device by the introduction of
obligations, together with penal sanctions, concerning the handing-over
with the legal authorities, when those require it, of the transcription
in light of the quantified documents. In the same way, the technical
capacities of the public authorities will significantly be reinforced.
To change the law will take several months. The Government wanted that
the principal obstacles which weigh on the citizens to protect the
confidentiality from their exchanges and on the development of the
electronic trade are raised without waiting. Thus, in the waiting of
modification legislative announce, the Government have decide to raise
the threshold of cryptology of which the use be free, of 40 bit with 128
bit, level consider by the expert ensure durably a very large safety.
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Thanks to P for pointing.
