United Kingdom

[GB] Consultation on provision of encryption services

IRIS 1997-4:1/28

Stefaan Verhulst

PCMLP University of Oxford

The UK Government intends to bring forward legislation lifting a ban on (domestic and foreign) Trusted Third Parties (that do not require escrow of private keys in the first session of a new Parliament following the General Election in May 1997. This would follow a recent consultation paper on `Licensing of Trusted Third Parties for the Provision of Encryption Services' issued by the UK Department of Trade and Industry on 19th March 1997. Comments are invited by the UK Government on the issues set out in this consultation paper by Friday 30 May 1997. The proposals involve licensing TTPs who offer encryption services to the public in order to facilitate the development of electronic commerce; to protect consumers; and to preserve the ability of the intelligence and law enforcement agencies to fight serious crime and terrorism, and protect economic well being and national security, by requiring disclosure of encryption keys under safeguards similar to those which already exist for warranted interception.