15 years!

About the EFF Wiretap Bill:

-----------------
The bill makes it a crime to possess or use an altered telecommunications
instrument (such as a cellular telephone or scanning receiver) to obtain
unauthorized access to telecommunications services (Sec. 9).  This
provision is intended to prevent the illegal use of cellular and other
wireless communications services.  Violations under this section face
imprisonment for up to 15 years and a fine of up to $50,000.
-----------------

I commented on this before but feel like repeating myself: So an alt.2600
tec-addict makes some hardware hacks on his cellular - and gets 15 years
in the slammer for catching some airwaves. A punishment scale suggestive 
of a very repressive state! And why outlawing it in the first place? What
is crypto for?

Mats

> The bill makes it a crime to possess or use an altered telecommunications
> instrument (such as a cellular telephone or scanning receiver) to obtain
> unauthorized access to telecommunications services (Sec. 9).  This
> provision is intended to prevent the illegal use of cellular and other
> wireless communications services.  Violations under this section face
> imprisonment for up to 15 years and a fine of up to $50,000.

Imagine if your government decided to outlaw deadbolts on font
doors, so cops wouldn't have to put so much shoulder effort into
executing "no knock" search warrants.  But then to make you feel
safer, they make "breaking and entering" a felony worthy of 15
years in prison, even if nothing is stolen and no one assaulted.

In America cops often use armored battering rams to execute knock
warrants.  Similarly, they can use court orders to obtain keys to
decode encrypted transmissions or files.  If a person is ordered
to turn over their password to unlock their documents, they can be
held in contempt if they don't, and they can demand their right to
not have any of the documents used against them if they do.

In America at least, there are no new civil liberties to be found
in the use of strong crypto.  The legitimate, constitutional use
of police power cannot be thwarted by using this new technology.

Only the uncontittutional abuses of state power will be thwarted
by use of strong crypto.


brad