Data privacy advocates in Congress, as well as the non-profit and commercial sectors, however, disagree. They contend that the move is a unilateral action in furtherance of an ill-advised stance toward such technology. This is due to their potential use against the United States by hostile governments, terrorists or other groups. The present regulations allow export of encryption technologies with decoding 'keys' of up to 40 bits.
Keys are the codes used to 'unscramble' encrypted information.
In a report released earlier this year, seven of the most renowned cryptologists and computer security experts analyzed the effectiveness of varying length encryption methods against brute force attacks. The new order makes two changes in government regulation of encryption technology. These actions are the first steps in implementing the Administration's most recent plan on encryption announced October 1 by Vice President Gore. First, the Executive Order transfers responsibility for regulation and export of encryption products from the State Department to the Commerce Department. The Justice Department will review the Commerce Department's regulations to represent the interests of law enforcement, which has historically resisted the spread of encryption, fearing criminal abuse.