Short Take: House leader queries White House encryption stance

House Majority Leader Rep. Dick Armey (R-Texas) sent a letter to Attorney General Janet Reno seeking clarification on the administration's policy toward encryption export controls. In the letter, Armey questioned the Clinton administration's commitment to personal privacy; the administration recently said it would loosen encryption export regulations. Armey also asked the White House to clarify its position on the Federal Intrusion Detection Network (Fidnet), which would monitor government computer systems for hacker activity.