Information Technology Minister Michael Wills has
unveiled plans which the UK government believes will make
the UK’s laws more “e-friendly.”
During Thursday’s launch of
“Promoting Electronic
Commerce”,
a consultation on the draft Electronic Communications Bill,
Michael Wills said the draft bill would build confidence in e-commerce by
protecting credit card numbers, personal details, and
sensitive commercial information.
“The government’s aim is to make the UK the world’s most attractive
centre for e-commerce by 2002,” said Wills.
“The Bill will allow business and individuals to use electronic
signatures with confidence. I am working in partnership with industry
to build trust in providers of electronic signatures and similar
services by making self-regulation work.”
Among the proposals in the Electronic Communications Bill are
measures to ensure the admissibility of electronic signatures
in court; measures to ensure that minimum standards of quality and
service are met by companies offering cryptography services;
and new powers that will allow law enforcement agencies to
obtain the surrender of decryption keys.
In the bill there are no requirements for the storage of
decryption keys with third parties (“key escrow”), which has been
one of the vexed issues plaguing the UK’s e-commerce industry.
Home Office Minister Paul Boateng raised some alarms regarding
the existing use of encryption, and warned that “criminal investigations
are already being hampered by the use of encryption by drug
traffickers, paedophiles and terrorists. ”
“Giving law enforcement properly authorised access to decryption
keys and plain text will help maintain their effectiveness in
the battle against serious crime and terrorism,” he added.
The consultation period on the draft bill ends on October 8.