NEGATIVE — COUNTERPLAN — FREE MARKET — INDIVIDUALS WILL PROTECT 88

BLIND SIGNATURE IS A WORKABLE FORM OF PRIVACY PROTECTION

THE BLIND SIGNATURE IS A VALUABLE ENCRYPTION PET

Ann Cavoukian, Commissioner of the Information and privacy Commission of Ontario, "The Promise of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies," VISIONS OF PRIVACY: Policy Choices for the Digital Age, 1999, EE2001 -JGM, p. 123

The blind signature, created by David Chaum of Digicash, is an extension of the digital signature - the electronic equivalent of a handwritten signature. 12 just as a signature on a document is proof of its authenticity, a digital signature provides the same authentication for electronic transactions. It provides a high level of assurance that only the individual who created the signature could have done so and permits others to verify its authenticity.

Digital signatures are an extension of an asymmetric cryptosystem - public key encryption. In a public key system, two different keys are created for each person: one private, one public. The private key is known only to the individual, whereas the public key is made widely available. When an individual encrypts a document with his or her private key, this is the digital equivalent of signing it by hand because the private key is unique to that individual. The intended third party can decrypt the message using the individual's public key, which corresponds to his or her private key. The successful decryption of the information provides the necessary assurance that it could only have been transmitted by that individual, because otherwise it would not have been possible to decode the information using the corresponding public key.

BLIND SIGNATURES ARE RELIABLE AND ANONYMOUS

Ann Cavoukian, Commissioner of the Information and privacy Commission of Ontario, "The Promise of Privacy-Enhancing Technologies," VISIONS OF PRIVACY: Policy Choices for the Digital Age, 1999, EE2001 -JGM, p. 123-4

A digital signature provides proof of authenticity that a transaction originated from a particular sender. It also reveals the identity of the individual in the process. The blind signature is an extension of the digital signature but with one additional feature: it ensures the anonymity of the sender. Digital signatures are intended to be identifiable to serve as proof that a particular individual signed a particular document. Blind signatures provide the same authentication but do so in a non-identifiable or 'blind' manner. The recipient is assured of the fact that a transmission is authentic and reliable, without knowing who actually sent it.

One application of blind signatures involves the use of 'E-cash' which can be used as an electronic form of payment that can be transmitted via networks such as the Internet. just as cash is anonymous, E-cash is also anonymous in that it cannot be traced to a particular individual. Chaum called it 'unconditionally untraceable.' The service provider, however, is assured of its authenticity; the only thing missing is the ability to link the transaction to a particular person. Chaum emphasized that his system also provides much-needed protections against fraud and abuse, but it is predicated on the use of non-identifier-based technology: 'A supermarket checkout scanner capable of recognizing a person's thumb print and debiting the cost of groceries from their savings account is Orwellian at best. In contrast, a smart card that knows its owner's touch and doles out electronic bank notes is both anonymous and safer than cash.