4.7.1. Speech - "Public speech is not a series of public speeches, but rather one's own words spoken openly and without shame....I desire a society where all may speak freely about whatever topic they will. I desire that all people might be able to choose to whom they wish to speak and to whom they do not wish to speak. I desire a society where all people may have an assurance that their words are directed only at those to whom they wish. Therefore I oppose all efforts by governments to eavesdrop and to become unwanted listeners." [Eric Hughes, 1994-02-22] - "The government has no right to restrict my use of cryptography in any way. They may not forbid me to use whatever ciphers I may like, nor may they require me to use any that I do not like." [Eric Hughes, 1993-06-01] 4.7.2. "Should there be _any_ limits whatsoever on a person's use of cryptography?" - No. Using the mathematics of cryptography is merely the manipulation of symbols. No crime is involved, ipso facto. - Also, as Eric Hughes has pointed out, this is another of those questions where the normative "should" or "shouldn't" invokes "the policeman inside." A better way to look at is to see what steps people can take to make any question of "should" this be allowed just moot. - The "crimes" are actual physical acts like murder and kidnapping. The fact that crypto may be used by plotters and planners, thus making detection more difficult, is in no way different from the possibility that plotters may speak in an unusual language to each other (ciphers), or meet in a private home (security), or speak in a soft voice when in public (steganography). None of these things should be illegal, and *none of them would be enforceable* except in the most rigid of police states (and probably not even there). - "Crypto is thoughtcrime" is the effect of restricting cryptography use. 4.7.3. Democracy and censorship - Does a community have the right to decide what newsgroups or magazines it allows in its community? Does a nation have the right to do the same? (Tennessee, Iraq, Iran, France. Utah?) - This is what bypasses with crypto are all about: taking these majoritarian morality decisions out of the hands of the bluenoses. Direct action to secure freedoms.
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