Cyphernomicon Index
Cyphernomicon 10.12

Legal Issues:
Crypto and Pornography


  10.12.1. There's been a lot of media attention given to this,
            especially pedophilia (pedophilia is not the same thing as
            porn, of course, but the two are often discussed in articles
            about the Net). As Rishab Ghosh  put it: "I think the
            pedophilic possibilities of the Internet capture the
            imaginations of the media -- their deepest desires, perhaps."
            [R.G., 1994-07-01]
  10.12.2. The fact is, the two are made for each other. The
            untraceability of remailers, the unbreakability of strong
            crypto if the files are intercepted by law enforcement, and
            the ability to pay anonymously, all mean the early users of
            commercial remailers will likely be these folks.
  10.12.3. Avoid embarrassing stings! Keep your job at the elementary
            school! Get re-elected to the church council!
  10.12.4. pedophilia, bestiality, etc. (morphed images)
  10.12.5. Amateur Action BBS operator interested in crypto....a little
            bit too late
  10.12.6. There are new prospects for delivery of messages as part of
            stings or entrapment attacks, where the bits decrypt into
            incriminating evidence when the right key is used. (XOR of
            course)
  10.12.7. Just as the law enforcement folks are claiming, strong crypto
            and remailers will make new kinds of porn networks. The nexus
            or source will not be known, and the customers will not be
            known.
           - (An interesting strategy: claim customers unknown, and
              their local laws. Make the "pickup" the customer's
              responsibility (perhaps via agents).


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