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[SuicideGirls > News > All] TECHNOLOGY: Seagate Announces 2.5 Inch Encrypted Hard Drive, 500GB Drive: In a decision with ominous implications for computer users concerned about the privacy of their e-mail communications, a Minnesota appeals court has ruled the mere presence of encryption software on a computer may be interpreted as evidence of criminal intent. Ari David Levie, who was convicted in Minnesota of taking photographs of a nude 9-year-old female, argued on appeal that the Pretty Good Privacy Inc.
[Vox Popoli] By the time I get to Minnesota: Ari David Levie, who was convicted of taking illegal photographs of a nude 9-year-old girl, argued on appeal that the PGP encryption utility on his computer was irrelevant and should not have been admitted as evidence during his trial. PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy and is sold by PGP Inc.
[tdaxp] Minnesota's Habit of Strange Pedophilia Laws: Ari David Levie, who was convicted of taking illegal photographs of a nude 9-year-old girl, argued on appeal that the PGP encryption utility on his computer was irrelevant and should not have been admitted as evidence during his trial. PGP stands for Pretty Good Privacy and is sold by PGP Inc.
[News.com.com] Minnesota court takes dim view of encryption | CNET News.com: Judge Thomas Bibus had convicted Levie of two counts of attempted use of a minor in a sexual performance and two counts of solicitation of a child to engage in sexual conduct. The appeals court reversed the two convictions for attempted use of a minor, upheld the two solicitation convictions, and sent the case back to Bibus for a new sentence.
[Schneier.com] Schneier on Security: Encryption as Evidence of Criminal Intent: Now, I have looked at the Decision, and all I can say there is that apparently is wasn't properly presented to the jurists that a browser history is not usually encrypted--nor that such encryption which does happen in web-browsing programs under normal types of use happens at the recommendation of the Federal Government (and others) and only affects the actual communication stream. (I ignore stored passwords here, since those are often considered to be separate from the actual act of using the internet according to most reasonable people.) This information, if it had been properly presented to the jurists, would likely have resulted in a much more useful guidance as to the issue of the use of encryption software as evidence of anything.
[Corante.com] Mere Presence of Encryption on PC Relevant to Criminal Acts ...: Levie, involves the uncle of a nine-year-old girl who sought to have her pose nude for his digital camera. The Court upheld his conviction on two counts of solicitation of a child to engage in sexual conduct.
Reflected tags on Technorati: Blog, Encryption, Global Security Watch