Security rules – the SSSCA’s potential harm to the digital lifestyle

Kelly McNeill writes “A controversial law was recently drafted, although not yet introduced, by U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-South Carolina), chairman of the Senate Commerce committee, and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), titled “The Security Systems Standards and Certification Act” (SSSCA). If made into law, the proposed bill would make it illegal to “manufacture, import, offer to the public, provide or otherwise traffic in” digital devices that do not use “certified security technologies.” The SSSCA, if enacted, will have serious negative affects on free software, most specifically to open-source operating systems such as Linux.”