Will my open source project be illegal in some countries if I enable openssl?

Question

I have a small open source project, and I'm going to add some encryption to it. I wonder if this will limit what developers can contribute to. If so, where are these laws so strict? Is there a reliable modern standard available online on this subject? Should I take care of recruiting programmers from all over the world?

Answer 1

Take a look at the Crypto Law Survey . It looks relevant; be reliable, you should ask your lawyer. In some countries (for example, in Israel), laws exist that require a license to work with cryptographic software.

I would leave it to contributors to make sure they comply with their local laws. If you receive complaints that people would like to make, but cannot because of local laws, study a specific case, and then find a specific solution.