NODE 33afaa08voluntary compliance
fnerd@smds.com (FutureNerd Steve Witham)Sat, 7 Aug 93 18:29:07 PDT
An interesting statement from the Skipjack proponents is that
its use will be voluntary, and there's nothing that the citizen
using it will be required to divulge (he doesn't even know the
key and they do), and therefore no one's rights are being
violated. Assume for the moment that that will remain true.
They just want to encourage voluntary compliance.
This is an interesting point. How much encouragement counts as
coercion? Is it okay if they tax a dollar from a million people
and offer the million to you for your information? Is it okay if
they make it illegal to sell non-compromised phones (i.e., you
don't have to use Skipjack, you can go unencrypted or roll your
own)?
These people are purposely, avowedly, trying to "encourage" us
to do something they have no legal right to require. Why is that
okay? Other than asking us as "good citizens" to do something,
how is slanting the incentives okay? Do we have the right not
to be nudged?
-fnerd
quote me
NODE f575e45cvoluntary compliance
karn@qualcomm.com (Phil Karn)Wed, 11 Aug 93 15:42:05 PDT
>They just want to encourage voluntary compliance.
Hmm...I have this strong feeling of deja vu. Where else have I heard this
expression before? Oh, right, the IRS! They always like to talk about how
our tax system is based on "voluntary compliance"...
Phil