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# When Code Became a Weapon
- URL: https://www.privacyguides.org/videos/2025/05/08/when-code-became-a-weapon/
- Published: 2025-05-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2025-09-10T02:22:17.000Z
- Description: During the Cold War, the US government tried to stop the export of strong cryptography.
- Author: Jordan Warne
- Tags: Videos, The History and Future of the Encryption Wars

In this video we'll dive into the history and explain what happened to cause this and why it was eventually overturned. The ability to use strong encryption wasn’t a given; it has been continually fought for throughout history.

## Sources

- <https://hiddenheroes.netguru.com/philip-zimmermann>
- <https://dubois.com/pgp-case/>
- <https://www.philzimmermann.com/EN/background/index.html>
- <https://www.philzimmermann.com/EN/bibliography/index.html>
- <https://www.philzimmermann.com/multimedia/NPR%20Morning%20Edition%2012%20Jan%201996%20-%20Justice%20Dept%20drops%20Zimmermann%20case.m4a>
- [158,962,555,217,826,360,000 (Enigma Machine) - Numberphile](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2%5FQ9FoD-oQ&pp=ygUSbnVtYmVycGhpbGUgZW5pZ21h)
- [Enigma Code](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU2s28-tN08&pp=ygUbZW5pZ21hIG1hY2hpbmUgZGlzY292ZXJ5IHVr)
- [Our History](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIDb-rVvHgQ&pp=ygUSb3VyIGhpc3RvcnkgbnNhIHl0)
- [The cold war, Checkpoint Charlie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pUmfKX3C04&pp=ygUSY2hlY2twb2ludCBjaGFybGll)
- [Ordinary Life in the USSR 1961](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExHCAjRsZhA&pp=ygUYbGlmZSBpbiB0aGUgdXNzciBmb290YWdl)
- [USA: WASHINGTON: ANTI-NUCLEAR PROTESTS](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SbC3EHS04I&pp=ygUZYW50aSBudWtlIHByb3Rlc3QgMTk5MCBhcNIHCQmGCQGHKiGM7w%3D%3D)
- [DEF CON 11 - Phil Zimmerman - A Conversation with Phil Zimmermann](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ww8AAkWFhM&pp=ygUTcGhpbCB6aW1tZXJtYW5uIHBncA%3D%3D)
- [The Screen Savers - Phil Zimmerman, creator of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) Interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZD36L3BXXs&pp=ygUdcGhpbCB6aW1tZXJtYW5uIHNjcmVlbiBzYXZlcnM%3D)
- [Creator of PGP, Phil Zimmermann Talks At Bitcoin Wednesday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8z0Nx8svC4&pp=ygUXcGhpbCB6aW1tZXJtYW5uIGJpdGNvaW4%3D)
- [Life On The Internet: Networking (1996 Usenet Documentary)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNme5DlNaZY&pp=ygUbbGlmZSBvbiB0aGUgaW50ZXJuZXIgdXNlbmV0)
- [Snooping is in the nature of govts – king of encryption Phil Zimmermann](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eYZ8v%5FR9jI&pp=ygUdcGhpbCB6aW1tZXJtYW5uIHNjcmVlbiBzYXZlcnM%3D)
- <https://www.eff.org/cases/bernstein-v-us-dept-justice>