The law eyes e-commerce - Brief Article

Electronics Times, May 5, 1998

The government hopes to encourage the use of electronic comerce through the introduction of legislation for encryption and on-line security.

The proposals include measures to standardise and legally recognise electronic signatures, and to introduce a voluntary licensing body for those offering electronic signature or encryption services.

They will also give law enforcement agencies suspecting foul play legal access to stored information, through rules on encryption keys.

The plans have been drawn up by the government after consultation with industry showed that existing legislation surrounding e-commerce was unsatisfactory.

Barbara Roche, small firms minister, said: "It is important to make e-commerce more secure. Users cannot afford to let the information they transmit be compromised. They must have the confidence that the confidentiality of information will be protected."

Service providers will not be forced to obtain licences or use any particular encryption products or technologies, but the DTI believes the scheme will give consumers peace of mind.

Professor Henry Beker, CEO of encryption specialist Zergo, says the moves are good for the consumer: "As we move towards an information based society, we'll all need cryptography and digital certificates."