Sophis Networks and Encryption Export Controls (A)

Vice President of the Security Products Division of Sophis Networks (a company whose identity has been masked) with the Government Affairs Group had spent the last two and a half years working closely with Congress and the Clinton Administration to relax U.S. export restrictions on encryption products (since export restrictions meant lost sales for U.S. companies such as Sophis, since customers outside the U.S. demanded products with the highest level of encryption available). However, President Clinton pledged to veto a bill called the Security and Freedom Through Encryption Act (SAFE), which hoped to relax U.S. export restrictions. The Vice President and the Government Affairs Group at Sophis needed to develop a “nonmarket” strategy and implementation plan in order to relax encryption export controls.