An RN-42 bluetooth module falls under US export restrictions? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: 0xdeadbeef
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 01:45:20 am
content: I recently ordered an RN-42 bluetooth module from Sparkfun. Mainly because it was cheap there and it's a bit hard to get here since it's so old (Bluetooth 2.1 after all).Immediately after ordering I got an email that it falls under export restriction and that they would contact me to clarify details. Today (several days later) I got this mail:QuoteJesus Christ, what bad could you do with an outdated Bluetooth module? Detonate a HID bomb from within a 10m radius?Hell, I could order a truckload of HC-06 modules from China and the only thing that could stop me would be missing CE markings.

author: ruffy91
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 03:03:01 pm
content: You (as a potential terrorist) could use it's encryption technology to plot a terrorist attack without the NSA knowing!As this module allegedly uses 128bit encryption this shouldn't apply, afaik at the moment this only applies to AES256 and better. Maybe when the module was first sold the threshold was 128bit long keys?

author: MikeW
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 03:16:22 pm
content: Quote from: 0xdeadbeef on January 14, 2016, 01:45:20 amI could think of some naughty things to do with it.Quote from: 0xdeadbeef on January 14, 2016, 01:45:20 amYou could, but this implies a country shouldn't bother to pass laws that someone with enough motivation can get round.

author: 0xdeadbeef
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 06:02:04 pm
content: Quote from: MikeW on January 14, 2016, 03:16:22 pmThen enlighten us what you could to with a bluetooth module that you couldn't so with some garage opener cheaper and from a greater distance.Quote from: 0xdeadbeef on January 14, 2016, 01:45:20 amWhy would I care for American laws? And how is not being affected by their weird law systems an act of "getting round" it that needs specific motivation?

author: MikeW
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 06:16:48 pm
content: Quote from: 0xdeadbeef on January 14, 2016, 06:02:04 pm

author: 0xdeadbeef
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 06:25:13 pm
content: Your way of using the quote function is about as disturbing as your arguments.

author: MikeW
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 06:29:33 pm
content: Quote from: 0xdeadbeef on January 14, 2016, 06:25:13 pmWell if that's all you've got then I'm out of here.If you want to buy something from a country, they can put whatever restrictions they like on doing so.If you can think of a way to beat that restriction then whoopee for you, doesn't mean they shouldn't do it.

author: 0xdeadbeef
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 14, 2016, 07:13:03 pm
content: Well you argued that if I order stuff in China, I would circumvent American laws. Which is a weird way of looking at things to say the least.Would I also show "a motivation to get around" American export restriction if I'd buy the module at a local dealer?And how exactly do export restrictions for Bluetooth modules make it harder for some terrorist to build a bomb from cheaper and more easily available parts?Then again, I guess ruffy91 is probably right and it's about some outdated encryption algorithm that some brainless bureaucrats supposed ten years ago to be a danger for their glorious homeland.As if North Korea and the like would use a weak 128bit encryption from a bluetooth module to protect against NSA's supercomputers.