The software was classed as munitions and one needed an arms dealer’s license to publish it, including online. The creator of PGP published the full source code as a book, as these are covered under first amendment rights.

  • Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Also anyone with a civilian GPS couldn’t use it for precise measurement because they added a deliberate error into them. It also took twenty to thirty minutes to download a gif of Samantha Foxes tits. PGP was really popular then. There were version on every dial in BBS in the US. Without a doubt someone/anyone overseas that wanted it, had it. It was a joke of security theater and didn’t last.

    • Dasus@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      It wasn’t an error, as such. They had just limited the resolution available for most people. It was called “Selected Availability”.

      • Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        It was described at the time by every one including the government as a deliberate error. I knew it had a name attached to it but it is inconsequential. It caused the readings to jump around randomly making the resolution somewhere are fifty to seventy five feet. Bill the blowjob bubba clinton had it turned off during his administration.