'SAFE' Legislation A Top Priority For New Democrat Coalition

WASHINGTON, DC-- The New Democrat Coalition today announced its support behind the Security and Freedom through Encryption Act, sponsored by Representatives Zoe Lofgren and Bob Goodlatte.

The NDC, a 61-Member group of centrist, pro-growth Democrats, is the largest Members’ organization within the Congressional Democrats.

Under current law, the United States allows only fifty-six bit encryption codes to be exported, although most software companies produce and sell encryption codes of up to 128 bits within the United States. Fifty-six bit encryption has been decoded with “brute force” in a matter of days by university students. One hundred twenty-eight bit encryption codes are virtually unbreakable.

The SAFE Act would affirm the right of Americans to use and sell all levels of encryption technology. It also relaxes export controls on computer products with encryption so that American firms can compete against foreign companies.

New Democrat Adam Smith (Washington) serves on the House Armed Services Committee and was the only vote on the committee to support the SAFE Act last year. “Our self-imposed restriction on encryption exports is disadvantaging U.S. software companies and threatening our competitiveness in this emerging new technology,” said Smith. “If our export ban actually kept the technology away from criminals, that would make sense. But that’s not the case — the encryption technology is still available to whoever wants it, but U.S. firms can’t sell it. Companies like Microsoft and Web TV are the worldwide leaders in information technology, but they are losing customers because our government isn’t letting them sell high-level encryption software.”

NDC Co-Chair Cal Dooley (California) says encryption export restrictions are doing serious harm to U.S. competitiveness. “The current restrictions on the export of encryption technology is a serious threat to the competitiveness of the U.S. technology sector in the global marketplace,” Dooley said. “Passage of the SAFE Act is essential to maintaining our leadership in software and innovative technology.”

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