Re: Americans back encryption controls

From: hal@finney.org
Date: Thu Sep 20 2001 - 11:00:49 MDT


> http://www.msnbc.com/news/630646.asp?0dm=N13PT
>
> Americans back encryption controls on
>
> 72 percent say new laws could help prevent repeat
> of attacks

Here's another poll with an opposite result:

http://www.newsbytes.com/cgi-bin/udt/im.display.printable?client.id=newsbytes&story.id=170291

   Last week's terrorist attacks have prompted a few Americans to say
   they are more willing to trade some personal privacy for security,
   according to a new study.

   However, while some respondents told the Pew Research Center they
   generally supported the concept of sacrificing some civil liberties
   in order to try to curb terrorism, when asked specifically about
   increased government monitoring of personal telephone calls or e-mails,
   most balked.

   The study found 70 percent of Americans oppose giving away the right
   to private communications via phone or e-mail. Twenty-six percent
   said they were in favor of the idea, with 4 percent in the "don't
   know" category.

   The Pew Research center surveyed U.S. 1,200 adults from Sept. 13-17
   for this study.

It probably depends on how the question is worded. Pew asked about giving
away privacy, the poll reported as MSNBC just referred to "encryption".

Hal



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