Study group agrees to voluntary restraints

A voluntary system of prior restraints on research publications in cryptography was approved this month by the Public Cryptography Study Group, most of whose nine members represent professional societies in mathematics and computer science. The system will be tried for 2 years, reports Daniel Schwartz, the general counsel of the National Security Agency (NSA). If, after that time, the process is not found to be “useful and efficient,” the NSA may decide to seek legislative authority for mandatory restraints.