Statement by Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO). Re: Administration encryption export policy announcement of Sept. 16, 1999. Date: September 16, 1999. Source: Office of Rep. Richard Gephardt.

I applaud President Clinton and Vice-President Gore for the Administration's proposal to relax export controls on encryption technology. This proposal goes a long way to address the concerns that I and other members of the Democratic Caucus have shared with the President - as recently as earlier this week - about the need to enact major changes in U.S. policy regarding the export of strong encryption products.

Sales of computer hardware and software containing strong encryption is a major growth area for the U.S. high-tech businesses, but it has been restricted by outdated, cold-war era regulations. The proposed changes will allow American businesses to compete with their overseas competitors for this valuable market, enhancing our leadership in the global marketplace.

This proposal appears to fairly balance the requirements of the high-tech industry with the strong national interest in ensuring criminals and terrorists can't use the tools of strong encryption to avoid prosecution for their unlawful acts. I hope that Congress will move quickly to hold hearings on the Administration's proposal on third-party key retrieval.

This is an important privacy issue that must be thoroughly debated and reviewed to ensure the tools we give law enforcement are consistent with our constitutional protections.

I look forward to seeing the full details of this proposal, and will continue to work with key members of my High-Tech Advisory Group to ensure the needs of the technology industry are addressed as the elements of today's announcement are fully implemented.