Mathematician Daniel J. Bernstein, a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has sued several Federal agencies on the grounds that the agencies' requirement that he obtain a license prior to publishing his ideas about cryptography violates his First Amendment right to freedom of speech.
Cryptography is the science of secret writing.
It is the technology to use for providing privacy or proving authenticity over distances. All kinds of communications, from cellular phones to corporate or government databases, depend on cryptography for protection. The security of computers against intruders, the privacy and integrity of the Internet, ATM machines, satellite and cable TV, and the world financial networks all depend on cryptographic protection. In fact, the very future of the global Internet, especially as a tool for commerce, political organizing and scientific development of new ideas, depends upon the availability of strong encryption. In addition, strong encryption is already available abroad, making laws restricting their export obsolete and damaging the ability of U.S. businesses to compete in overseas markets.