Washington, DC— The following statement was issued today by Ed Gillespie, Executive Director of Americans for Computer Privacy (ACP) in response to today’s actions by the House and Senate Commerce Committees on encryption legislation:
“ACP is gratified that lawmakers in both the House and Senate recognize the urgent need to move forward with encryption policy reform legislation. Bills in both chambers gained momentum today as they were favorably reported by their respective Commerce Committees.
We congratulate House Commerce Committee Chairman Tom Bliley (R-VA) for his leadership and support of H.R 850, The Security and Freedom Through Encryption (SAFE) Act. We are also encouraged by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain’s (R-AZ) commitment to updating encryption policy and appreciate the leadership he has shown in moving S.798, The PROTECT (Promote Reliable Online Transactions to Encourage Commerce and Trade) Act.
The message coming from Capitol Hill is loud and clear—current export restrictions on U.S. made encryption do not make sense in light of the realities in today’s global marketplace. The time for encryption policy reform is now.”
Americans for Computer Privacy (ACP) is a broad-based coalition that brings together more than 100 companies and 40 associations representing financial services, manufacturing, telecommunications, high-tech and transportation, as well as law enforcement, civil-liberty, pro-family and taxpayer groups. ACP supports policies that advance the rights of American citizens to encode information without fear of government intrusion, and advocates the lifting of current export restrictions on U.S.- made encryption.