Could PGP and the Zfone be considered weaponry?
The State Department maintains something called the Munitions List, and during the time when PGP came out up until the late ’90s, encryption software was on the Munitions List, along with Stinger missiles and helicopter gunships and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Actually they had an exception for missiles. They said when you’re launching a missile at an enemy you’re exporting the weapon. Q: But, you stand behind your software, even though there is the potential for it to be used by dubious characters. A: Yeah. I think it’s unfortunate that the technology we create is used by criminals and terrorists. For example, the (Sept. 11) hijackers purchased GPS (global positioning system) receivers and they used those GPS receivers to locate the World Trade Center. These airplanes have autopilots. You can push a button and say, “Fly me to La Guardia.” But they don’t know where the World Trade Center is. It’s not part of the airplane’s autopilot. So they had to use GPS receivers for that.
