Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/1999/05/27/uk_abandons_key_escrow/

UK abandons key escrow

Police to gain access to data only with senior politicos' say-so

By Team Register

Posted in On-Prem, 27th May 1999 12:01 GMT

The UK government has at last set down its policy on encryption software and, as predicted, the announcement yesterday presented a considerably more liberal approach than those taken by previous administrations. Stating that there was no easy way to reconcile the needs of law enforcement agencies to access criminals' data with the public's right to privacy, the government said the only way to balance these opposing factors was through co-operation rather than enforcement. So, out goes key escrow, the requirement that encryption software suppliers maintain 'back-door' access to encrypted data and register that with a centralised key broker. However, companies will be required to disclose a key when presented with a warrant. Such warrants will need to be signed by the Home Secretary, the Foreign Minister and another "senior minister". Previously proposed legislation would have required warrants to be signed only by a senior police officer. Warrants would be issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act to allow police access to encrypted data just as they can apply for warrants to enter homes and offices. The difference is that the application for the data-access warrant will be treated as an application to intercept mail or phone traffic -- hence the high level to which the application must go before the warrant is granted. Ministers said the decryption process would be performed by a centralised Technical Assistance Centre once a given police force had obtained a warrant and the key to open the data. Yesterday's announcement followed the formation of a task force combining government, law enforcement agencies and industry to propose legislation that best serves each party's interests. In turn, that is part of the UK government's avowed intent to make Britain one of the best countries to do e-business in. ®