A milestone in encryption control – what sank the US key-escrow policy?

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the 1990s, the US government recognised its citizens required cryptography for protection of digital data but also that encryption may impede law enforcement and intelligence collection. To reconcile these, President Clinton introduced the key-escrow policy, whereby the state would provide citizens with powerful encryption software whilst retaining decryption capabilities. The policy ultimately failed – the determinant reason for its discontinuation is unknown. This article posits and evidences that industry’s argument that key-escrow would curtail the global growth of the US technology sector was the determinant factor in the policy’s discontinuation.