Past as Prologue: Re-Launch of the Encryption Compendium and Discussion

Video recording of this event available here. Transcript available here.

Debates around the development and use of encryption date back decades. From the first of the “Crypto Wars” over the Clipper Chip to the recent conversations focusing on the ability to pinpoint and map child sexual abuse material, these policy fights have explored a range of serious and important issues. In 2020, Silicon Flatirons, along with key partners, first launched the Encryption Compendium with a goal of compiling a comprehensive repository of material to serve as a hub for those seeking to gain general understanding of both the historic and modern debates.

At this event, an array of experts will discuss the full timeline behind the many encryption battles and be asked to what extent this history can be used to inform what may come next. In addition, the student researchers and developers behind the Encryption Compendium will present the resource, including details on how it can be accessed and used by anyone looking to find material on this topic.

Panelists will address the major legal milestones in the history of the encryption debates and how those milestones show an evolution in thinking on each side of the debate from both a policy and a technical perspective. They will provide additional international perspective for how these debates are playing out in new laws in other countries, to what extent those conversations are impacting what is happening in the U.S., and vice versa. Panelists will also discuss how the Encryption Compendium seeks to put resources about the encryption debates into a single location that can be used by policymakers and their teams in order to provide useful infrastructure for understanding both the historic conversations as well as ongoing discussions.

This event will accommodate remote participation in addition to in-person attendance. The keynote speeches and panel discussion will be hosted virtually, but attendees also have the option to gather at the Wolf Law building, home of Silicon Flatirons at University of Colorado Law School, to view the livestream, partake of the presentations, and participate in networking – subject to COVID-19 restrictions. A light lunch will be provided for in-person attendees.