Wow, a victory for privacy!!!
Dec. 17th, 2007 08:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
johnridleyhttp://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9834495-38.html
"A federal judge in Vermont has ruled that prosecutors can't force the defendant to divulge his PGP passphrase. The ruling was given on the basis that the passphrase is protected under the 5th amendment to the United States Constitution (protection against self-incrimination)."
I'm really quite pleased to see such a bit of wonderful news from a federal judge first thing Monday morning.
Of course, with the current administration, legality or constitutionality probably aren't significant if they get sufficiently interested in you; they'll just fly you to the UK where they can toss you in jail for 5 years, or to Turkey where they can torture you.
Also, there are a lot of fine points in there, and this will almost certainly be appealed. Still, you have to take your good news where you can find it.
"A federal judge in Vermont has ruled that prosecutors can't force the defendant to divulge his PGP passphrase. The ruling was given on the basis that the passphrase is protected under the 5th amendment to the United States Constitution (protection against self-incrimination)."
I'm really quite pleased to see such a bit of wonderful news from a federal judge first thing Monday morning.
Of course, with the current administration, legality or constitutionality probably aren't significant if they get sufficiently interested in you; they'll just fly you to the UK where they can toss you in jail for 5 years, or to Turkey where they can torture you.
Also, there are a lot of fine points in there, and this will almost certainly be appealed. Still, you have to take your good news where you can find it.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Only 5 years?
Date: 2007-12-17 05:13 pm (UTC)The penalty for forgetting a password is apparently the same as for deliberately withholding it....
Better not have Alzheimers if you've ever used a password to store or encrypt data.
Re: Only 5 years?
Date: 2007-12-17 05:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-17 09:54 pm (UTC)B