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Phil Zimmermann On PGP Development, Legal Battles And Encryption Challenges

Calendar Nov 27, 2001 • User Avatar Anthony Pell
1 min read
General Esm H446
Topics%20covered

Topics Covered

encryption software development data privacy PGP legal issues InfoSec
InfoSecurityMag talks with the creator of PGP and the motivations behind creating it. "Zimmermann says he was confident that the first release of PGP domestically would be safe from legal restrictions, albeit not unnoticed.. . . InfoSecurityMag talks with the creator of PGP and the motivations behind creating it. "Zimmermann says he was confident that the first release of PGP domestically would be safe from legal restrictions, albeit not unnoticed.

"I knew it would attract the attention of the government, and they wouldn't like what I did." He certainly didn't think it would result in a criminal investigation.

Though unworried about PGP 1.0, Zimmermann knew that he very likely stepped over the line with PGP 2.0, released in September 1992. "I was quite worried," he said. "I felt sure I was going to prison because of that."

Zimmermann says his role in the development of PGP 2.0 was "more clearly violations of the Arms Export Control Act, which forbade technical assistance in the development of encryption software overseas."