Cryptography and the Law
The use of cryptography is regulated by a complex web of national and international laws. In some countries, such as the United States, it is legal to use strong cryptography but software that implements it cannot be exported. In other countries, such as France, it is illegal to use strong cryptography at all.
The laws are changing rapidly. As I was writing this update in December 1998, the 33 countries in the Wassenaar Arrangement had agreed to establish the same cryptography export controls as the United States. However, it appears that free software, such as SSLEAY, is exempted from these restrictions.
Recently the United States loosened the export restrictions slightly, allowing Web browsers to be used for strong encryption when communicating with financial institutions or when an American-owned company overseas needs to browse its home office’s Web site. Server certificates that allow for these specific exemptions can be obtained from VeriSign through its “step-up” program.
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