6.805 | Fall 2005 | Undergraduate

Ethics and the Law on the Electronic Frontier

Readings

Bush Administration Memo on Digital Telephony

The following Top Secret memo from Brent Scowcroft to George Bush, written and the end of 1991 (and declassified in 1996) shows Bush’s approval of a plan to have the Justice Department prepare legislation to deal with digital telephony problem, and to follow through to address encryption about a year later.

These documents were obtained in 1996 by the Electronic Privacy Information Center, under the Freedom of Information Act.

1991 Memorandum from Brent Scowcroft to George Bush. (Courtesy of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.)

1991 Memorandum from Brent Scowcroft to George Bush. (Courtesy of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.)

1991 Memorandum from Brent Scowcroft to George Bush. (Courtesy of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.)