[This bill was also known as the Comprehensive Counter-Terrorism Act of
1991, and was the inspiration for the creation and release of Phil
Zimmermann's PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) free encryption program.]
Senate Bill 266 (1991).
SEC. 2201 . COOPERATION OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
It is the sense of Congress that providers of electronic
communications
services and manufacturers of electronic communications service
equipment shall ensure that communications systems permit the
government to obtain the plain text contents of voice, data, and
other communications when appropriately authorized by law.
Description of section from the
Congressional Record 137 Cong.Rec. S1159-03
Sec. 2201. Cooperation of telecommunications providers with law
enforcement.
This section expresses the sense of the Congress that providers
of telephone and other electronic communications equipment
should design and engineer such equipment in a manner that
allows law enforcement agencies to obtain the plain text
contents of voice, data and other communications when
appropriately authorized by law. The use of sophisticated
communications equipment- particularly cellular telephones-by
terrorists and other organized criminal organizations has
frustrated the ability of law enforcement agencies to conduct
lawful surveillance activities.
This section would not amend existing wiretap laws or
otherwise expand the authority of law enforcement agencies to
conduct electronic surveillance. Rather, it encourages
electronic communications equipment providers to design such
equipment to allow law enforcement agencies, when duly
authorized by law, to more easily conduct surveillance
activities. Without such cooperation from private providers,
U.S. law enforcement agencies will be forced to spend tens of
millions of dollars for research and development of
communications intercept equipment; money that could be saved
through cooperative law enforcement-public
sector cooperation.
