WHEN Peter Junger starts teaching this year鈥檚 students about computers
and the law this month, he will be teaching US citizens only. The law, he says,
makes it illegal for him to discuss electronic codes and encryption systems with
anyone who isn鈥檛 an American.
The law that has forced Junger to turn away students from his class at Case
Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, is designed to prevent the export
of sophisticated weapons. As far as the law is concerned, electronic encryption
which can be used to prevent anyone from eavesdropping, including the security
forces, is a potential weapon of war. Giving such information to foreign
students could be construed as 鈥渆xporting鈥� encryption techniques to other
powers.
Junger claims that the law infringes his right to free speech, and so last
month he filed a suit against the federal government in the Cleveland court. 鈥淎
lot of people just plain don鈥檛 know about the law. Or they say, `It can鈥檛 apply
to me.鈥� Then they get a call from the government,鈥� he says.
Advertisement
Junger points out that he is not teaching his students the latest and most
sophisticated encryption techniques but is simply trying to explain to lawyers
how computer programs work, and how they can keep their communications with
clients confidential.
Junger could probably have taught his course until he retired without
attracting the attention of the FBI. But since he knew about the law, he decided
to find out if he needed a licence to 鈥渆xport鈥� the information to foreign
students. Unable to get a straight answer from the Department of Commerce, which
issues export licences, or from National Security Agency, he decided to try to
overturn the law, with help from lawyers at the Ohio Civil Liberties Union. The
suit could take months or years to resolve. In the meantime, says Junger, he
cannot allow foreign students into his class. Two of them were turned away for
the autumn term.