Privacy, cryptography and free research

Early in July 1977, Mr. E.K. Gannett, IEEE Staff Director of Publishing Services, received a letter (with enclosures) from IEEE member J.A. Meyer of Bethesda, Maryland. The letter warned that some of those presenting papers at the forthcoming International Symposium on Information Theory sponsored by the IEEE Professional Group on Information Theory and possibly the Institute itself might be subject to prosecution by the Federal Government for violation of the Arms Export Control Act. The circumstances are briefly reviewed. It is concluded that, as the largest engineering society and as one that has already been directly impacted by this issue, it seems reasonable to expect the IEEE to take a strong public position on the principles, to indicate its willingness to defend any member who might be singled out for prosecution, and to press for changes in the laws and regulations. A preliminary step should be a careful study of the relevant regulations and laws by its attorneys. A committee headed by Dr. David Slepian has already been charged by the Governing Board Of the Information Theory Group to study the matter. This committee, possibly augmented by representatives of other IEEE entities, might be given Institute-wide status to recommend detailed procedures.