Press Releases: May 1999

Press Release | May 7, 1999

Department of Justice Statement on Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Decision in Encryption Case

On May 6, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco issued a decision in a case involving government controls on encryption exports. The Department of Commerce and the Department of Justice are currently reviewing the Ninth Circuit's decision in Daniel...

Press Release | May 7, 1999

US Export Control Laws on Encryption Ruled Unconstitutional

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the federal government's restrictions on encryption are unconstitutional, affirming a lower court's ruling that export control over cryptographic "software and related devices and technology are in violation of the First Amendment on the grounds of prior restraint."
"The Court understood...

Press Release | May 6, 1999

Statement of Rep. Anna Eshoo on Bernstein vs. the Justice Department Ruling

"I'm pleased the federal appeals court has affirmed Federal District Court Judge Marilyn Patel's original decision that in the name of national defense, the U.S. government should not restrict the very liberties it is supposed to be defending. This decision demonstrates the judicial branch's understanding of the encryption debate. Now...