Export of cryptography

The export of cryptography is the transfer from one country to another of devices and technology related to cryptography. Cryptography is the practice of securing information by turning it into a secret code that only the intended recipient can read.

In the early days of the Cold War, the United States and its allies created strict rules to control the export of technology. They wanted to make sure important technology, including cryptography, did not reach countries in the Eastern bloc. Getting a license to send this technology to other countries was necessary.

Many countries worked together through a group called CoCom to manage these rules. Later, countries in the Wassenaar Arrangement also set up their own restrictions. However, in the late 2010s, many of these rules became much less strict.