After an extensive review on its 1996 restrictions on the use of strong cryptography, the French government has decided to lift all constraints on the use of cryptographic software up to 128- bits in key length and has removed its requirement for third- party key escrow. To protect itself, the government intends to supplement existing laws by making it mandatory to hand over clear text versions of encrypted documents when legal authorities demand it. At the same time, it intends to significantly improve the technical capabilities of public authorities. France’s decision was the talk of the RSA Data Security Conference. As the US Government and the Wassenaar nations clamp down on the use of crypto, France has imposed a regime which to many privacy advocates seems astonishingly enlightened.
