Authors: Rick Burdeniuk, Ahmad Ali
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One would assume we are moving into an open and boundless global community. However there is a great diversity in national policy regarding key elements of the information age. Encryption, Supercomputers, Internet infrastructure, and basic Human Rights that are still under debate and restriction on a global scale. Is the information age developing along political boundaries, and do the varying national policies have any substantive effect on this global information age as a whole?
This paper will introduce arguments and information on Supercomputers, Encryption, Global policies, and Internet Infrastructure in an attempt to determine the role of export restrictions in the information age. Special attention is drawn to United States of America, Canada, Australia, Nigeria, and two individuals whose involvment demonstrates governmental policy in action.
What is a supercomputer? The definition of a supercomputer is a system that can perform "at least one billion floating-point calculations per second." (a gigaflop) [1] According to the export guidelines of the United States, a supercomputer shall be exported to any Tier III country (India, Pakistan, all Middle East/ Maghreb, the former Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, Central Europe) only after a 10-day pre-export application process. Also, a supercomputer cannot be exported to a Tier IV country (Iraq, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Cuba, Sudan, and Syria).
According to several benchmark tests, the new Apple processor, the G4, is considered a supercomputer. With a tested ability to perform over 3000 MTOPS (Millions of Theoretical Operations per Second), the G4 is considered by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Export Administration (BXA) as computer hardware that must be controlled.
Intel is also poised to release their new processor, the Itanium. According to the information given on their web site, the average processing power combined with the ability to connect two Itanium processors in parallel, may result in some legal problems when the new processor is introduced into the market. This processor also meets the United States' current definition of a supercomputer.
Also, according to Sony, the processor in the new Playstation 2 has the ability to run at about 6.2 gigaflops. [2] In other words, that the new chip will be capable of about 6200 MTOPS. As a result, the new Playstation will fall into the States' current definition of computer hardware that must be controlled by the BXA.
Therefore, in order to export this product to any Tier III country, the ultimate user (in these countries) must apply for permission. If the application is successful, the United States keeps these applications on file so they have a record of everyone in a Tier III country that owns one of these 'dangerous' machines.
Some ask: why all the security and read tape for the export of a simple personal computer or gaming consol? Well, according to the BXA, the reason for this is so that they can "ensure that they are used for peaceful purposes." In other words, the United States are afraid that Apple G4 or the Sony Playstation will be used to operate a piece of military machinery or software.
The reasoning behind this does have its origins in logic. The processing power needed to operate a military installation (or more specifically, to conduct a military strike) would require the use of a supercomputer. However, it should be noted that the actual method in which this information would be processed is different from that of a personal computer or game consol. The architecture of the hardware operating a military base if vastly different from that of a Mac or Playstation. So even though, in theory, the processing power is there, common sense would dictate that it cannot be used for the purpose the U.S. is afraid of.
However the implementation of this law come into question when we are presented with Cplant, the newest "commodity super computer." That is a computer wholly assembled with off the shelf components (some 600) networked together. Components that can be shipped to any Tier nation under the US export controls. At US$7.5 million, Cplant is less than 10 percent the cost of more specialized supercomputers. The supercomputers can be used to run programs such as simulations of airplane crashes, safety assessments of weapons, or shipments of nuclear waste. Cplant is the 44th most powerful computer in the world.
The validity of export restrictions on "supercomputer" can now be brought into question as a Play Station 2 is unacceptable, while the worlds 44th most powerful supercomputer (with some 232.6 billion operations per second) if fair game. [3] While the commodity super computer does require some specialized software, that software is becoming more prevalent. As technology advances control become harder and harder. In addition to rasing the minimum standard to allow for consumer devices like the Playstation 2, this new parallel computing initiative ensures that even with existing export restrictions supercomputing power can easily be obtained.
* See Attached top500.xls for the sixty-six page the top 500 list in Excel 97 format.
Another area of the computer industry that the United States is trying to control is the ability for individuals to send information coded in such a manor that only the intended recipient is able to read it.
The United States justification controlling the export of encryption software is "to protect the public from crimes such as terrorism, narcotics trafficking, economic fraud, and child pornography." [4] Several levels of law enforcement, including the DEA, FBI, and CIA, say that is it necessary for national security that they are able to access and monitor any piece of communication within or leaving the United States.
While the reason of nation security may have some justification, the simple fact remains that in 35 other countries, the more lenient governments have allowed the creation of over 800 different pieces of encryption software. [5] To subject companies in the U.S. to an application process before they can export their software is to put them at great disadvantage in the global market. Thus, in an attempt to control the software, they are not only hindering American companies but they are also failing since the software is still widely available. In fact, Germany plans to give a $170, 000 (US) grant to the development of new "freeware" encryption software. [6] So, while the Unites States is hindering the production of this type of software, other countries are not only allowing it but are in fact funding the development.
In Ontario, Canada, a wholly opposite ethical standpoint is presented. "What we need is a shift in the mindset of how to use information," says Ann Cavoukian, Ontario's privacy commissioner. "A lot of people still think that their email is safe from prying eyes or tampering. That's not true. We have to protect ourselves, and we have to know how to use the tools...We have to get that message out."
While the US Congress recoils in horror at the prospect of a population armed with cryptographic tools, a government department in Ontario wants to make it clear that encryption is good. [7]
Canadian newsletter, "E-mail Encryption Made Easy" can be found online, and is to be distributed. www.ipc.on.ca/web_site.eng/matters/sum_pap/PAPERS/encrypt.htm [8]
Surprisingly four of the eight G8 countries support very restrictive encryption policies. Of specific note is the United States: Russia, China, Belarus, Israel, Singapore, Pakistan, India, South Korea, and France.
This data is from the Global Internet Liberty Campaign which conducts a survey Electronic Privacy Information Centre under a grant from the Open Society Institute, summarizes the positions of 75 governments and three international organizations on several crucial issues: domestic controls on cryptography as well as import- and export-controls policies.
Appendix One includes a list of some 50 countries relevant policies.
"We feel cryptography is one of the key elements required to protect human rights, specifically the 12th article of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights that states that privacy is a basic human right," said Austin Hill, president of privacy software firm Zero Knowledge Systems.
This quote was presented in opposition to the Wassenaar Arrangement, which was signed by 33 countries in order to limit the spread of "arms and dual use goods. The Arrangement does not impede bona fide civil transactions and is not directed against any state or group of states. All measures undertaken with respect to the Arrangement are in accordance with member countries' national legislation and policies and implemented on the basis of national discretion."
| Philip R. Zimmermann |
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Philip R. Zimmermann is the creator of Pretty Good Privacy, Was the target of a three year criminal investigation, because the US government held that export restrictions for cryptographic software were violated when PGP spread all around the world following its 1991 publication as freeware. Finally in 1996 the case was dropped without indictment. [9] Immediately after which he received many notable accommodations. [10]
PGP has transcended national boundaries and was used extensively in Guatemala by Human Rights Groups. A collection of letters to Zimmermann is found on his website www.nai.com/products/security/phil/phil.asp, which included a report for the Catholic Church's Project for the Recuperation of Historical Memory. Development of the report was securely transmitted between Europe, US, and Guatemala. Three days after the publication of REMHI's report in April 1998, the director of the project (Monseñor Juan Jose Gerardi) was murdered. The perpetrators have still not been identified.
We are part of a network of not-for-profit agencies, working among other things for human rights in the Balkans. Our various offices have been raided by various police forces looking for evidence of spying or subversive activities. Our mail has been regularly tampered with and our office in Romania has a constant wiretap.
Last year in Zagreb, the security police raided our office and confiscated our computers in the hope of retrieving information about the identity of people who had complained about their activates.
In every instance PGP has allowed us to communicate and protect our files from any attempt to gain access to our material as we PKZIP all our files and then use PGP's conventional encryption facility to protect all sensitive files.
Without PGP we would not be able to function and protect our client group. Thanks to PGP I can sleep at night knowing that no amount of prying will compromise our clients. I have even had 13 days in prison for not revealing our PGP pass phrases, but it was a very small price to pay for protecting our clients. [11]
With Human rights groups are committed to the rule of law, using software legally is important to them. In most cases that meant arranging for people to bring floppy disks from Europe. In the information age however, to day (1999) it is much easier for human rights groups to get PGP from the PGP International World Wide Web site.
In October 1998, Minister of Industry John Manley announced the elements of Canada's Cryptography Policy. The policy is a component of the Canadian Electronic Commerce Strategy. The policy permits Canadians to develop, import and use whatever cryptography products they wish and does not impose mandatory key recovery requirements or a licensing regime. Manley stated that "This policy is good for the Canadian economy . . . It supports the increased use of electronic commerce products and services in Canada, as well as the export of Canadian information technologies to other countries."
The 1999 Cryptography and Liberty report reveals that few countries worldwide now restrict encryption technologies and that there has been more relaxation of restrictions on encryption by major industrialized countries in the previous year. [12]
Moves to liberalize high technology have been made by several countries in order to encourage internal development to varying success.
Most interesting by far is Switzerland, who's policy is the most extreme and simple; "the development and manufacturing of cryptographic software and hardware is not subject to any limitation. The use of cryptographic software is not subject to any limitation."
An example of the global information age is RSA Data Securities Inc. In January 1999, RSA opened their overseas development centre in Australia. While the RSA centre in the U.S. produces encryption software for distribution in America, the company has decided to invest the majority of its research and development resources into the Australian division. This is because any software developed in Australia is not under the export regulations of the U.S. Therefore, RSA would be able to distribute the Australian-originated software to a must larger market. [13]
Another aspect to the encryption issue is the concept of rights. According to various international human rights agreements, human privacy is of utmost importance. Everyone has the right to personal security and to be able to communicate with whom ever they choose without the fear that someone else can access the information. The fact that the American government will not allow the export of software until they posses the codes to access the information seems to be in direct violation of these treaties. In actuality, this is the argument made by many on the side of the software producers and users alike.
The web site is physically located in Europe. All PGP products that can be found on this website are legally re-engineered in Europe and are currently commercially available in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Canada and in the U.S.
All PGP encryption products are minimum 128-bit strong encryption, worldwide. The products do not contain an unknown or undocumented message or key recovery method (usually called backdoor). The only way to recover the encrypted messages is to know and use the applicable key. The alternative, testing all possible keys, is practically an impossible task to accomplish even when using all computing power in the world. [14]
Philip Emeagwali is an accredited genius and who successfully developed the first massively parallel computer. He is however a Nigeria, who later moved to USA where he was introduced to the computer. The following is a speech presented during his address to the Nigerian people.
If we succeed, that will create a better society for our children and future generations.
The Nigerian Vision 2010 was inspired by the six-year-old Malaysian Vision 2020 plan. Shortly after her independence in 1957, Malaysia sent people to Nigeria to learn how to grow palm trees. Today, Malaysia employs Nigerian oil palm experts, produces and exports more than half of the world's palm oil, and sells palm oil to Nigeria. This is one example of how the best Nigerian minds are helping other countries achieve significant economic growth.
In fact, Malaysia has become so prosperous that its prime minister has projected that the Malaysian Vision 2020 could enable his country to become a developed nation by quadrupling its $9,000 per-capita income by the year 2020.
How did Malaysia, a multiracial nation of about 20 million people, become so prosperous? What lessons can Nigeria learn from Malaysia? What does Malaysia have that Nigeria does not?
The Malaysian Vision 2020 includes the development of a $40 billion Multimedia Super Corridor, a 750 square-kilometre (468-square-mile) technological city that will replace its vast oil palm plantations.
The Malaysians have recognized the emerging Information Age and are poised to enter it based on a strategy that is similar to the one used to send astronauts to the moon.
This is important because 60 percent of the wealth of many countries is presently derived from knowledge-based goods and services. In contrast, Vision 2010's goal is for Nigeria to derive its entire wealth from agriculture and industry. Vision 2010 will make Nigerians the hewers of wood and fetchers of water for those nations that have arrived in the Information Age.
Based on United Nations' estimate, 50,000 Nigerian-American professionals are contributing $9 billion a year to the United States' economy. [15]
Appendix Two details the Malaysian "Super Corridor."
As illustrated in the paper, governmental policy, specifically export policy can have a great affect on a nations role in the global information age. Manuel Castells presents the view of a powerless state in his book The Power of Identity "what the power of technology does is to extraordinarily amplify the trends rooted in social structure and institution: oppressive societies be more so with new surveillance tools, while democratic, participatory societies by enhance there openness and representative ness by further distributing political power with the power of technology."
Australia's lack of export restrictions invites American venture capital as access to customers on a global level, which is very important in commercial decisions, provided not American is involved in the products development. However commercial decisions are just the tip of the iceberg. With foreign investment comes jobs, and these jobs in particular are high paying jobs that develop proponent countries populace as local talent is required by export laws.
The goal of this inquiry was to show the effect technological export laws have and their relevance in the global information age.
It is now an individual's inadvertent right to propagate one's work. The state greatly affects the flow of information technology; it has at the same time lost absolute control. The Internet easily spread PGP in the early 1990's. Today freedom of intellectual capital has moved to a whole new level. "Patents for the chip are held by Cayman Islands-based Elbrus International, which in turn is held by Cayman-based Elbrus Services, controlled by the Russian engineers ... the company took the decision to register offshore because of poor intellectual property protection under Russian law. [16] Opportunity for development in a global market and socially acceptable reverse engineering techniques ensure that the information age will be supplied its technology.
Divisions will be, and can drawn in accordance to export polices. See Appendix One. Supercomputers and encryption are both widely available via countries that are more then happy to host development in an unregulated environment. It could be that the very countries trying to contain the outflow of technology will no longer find themselves selling, but rather buying as development and investment flow to greener pastures and prosper.
With respect to the ethics there is economic reality as presented above and it's impact on a nations populace. In addition the UN charter that speaks to individuals right to privacy. The extension of privacy to the right to empowered oneself with technology does not necessarily follow. The discussion both ends and begins with the sprit of a nations law. In some countries freedom in democracy arguments are applicable to technological empowerment, and at the same technological empowerment is no way a necessity for privacy, as the state ultimately is.
The Technology Administration (TA) www.ta.doc.gov
Global Internet Liberty Campaign www.gilc.org
The Bureau of Export Administration U.S. Department of Commerce 207.96.11.93
Waves of power : dynamics of global technology leadership, 1964-2010, David C. Moschella. New York : AMACOM, c1997. Description xx, 300 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
Global competition and technology : essays in the creation and application of technology by multinationals, Robert Pearce.
Science and technology, shaping the twenty-first century : a report to the Congress. Washington, D.C. : Executive Office of the President, Office of Science and Technology Policy, [1997]
World Wide Web Journal, Osman Balci, Virginia Tech, Virginia, USA ISSN 1386-145X
| Green | Green/Yellow | Yellow | Yellow/Red | Red | Unknown |
Anguilla |
Argentina |
Hong Kong |
India |
Belarus |
Angola |
Key:
Bold indicates that the country adopted a more restrictive policy.
Italics indicate that the country adopted a less restrictive policy.
Normal indicates that the country's policy remained largely unchanged.
Map of Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor
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