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Phil Zimmermann
Technology Activism & Humanitarian

Phil Zimmermann

Creator of PGP, the first widely available strong email encryption

12 February 1954 United States Verified by our editors
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Age
72 yrs
Birthday in 99 days
Works listed
2
Software, Book
Honours
3
Most recent 2012
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1
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Phil Zimmermann is an American computer scientist who created Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) in 1991, making strong encryption freely available to the public for email and files. He was investigated by the US government for three years for “exporting munitions”, but no charges were filed.

Biography

Background

Zimmermann studied computer science at Florida Atlantic University and worked as a software engineer, while campaigning for nuclear disarmament.

PGP

Worried that a proposed US law would force companies to give the government access to communications, he wrote PGP and released it free in 1991. Copies spread worldwide via the internet.

Investigation

Because strong encryption was then classed as a munition, the US Customs Service investigated him for illegal export from 1993 to 1996. He published PGP’s source code as a printed book, protected as free speech. The case was dropped.

Later work

He founded PGP Inc., developed the Zfone and ZRTP protocols for encrypted phone calls, and co-founded Silent Circle. PGP became the OpenPGP standard.

Timeline

  1. 1954

    Born in Camden, New Jersey, United States

  2. 1991

    Releases PGP

  3. 1993

    Federal investigation begins

  4. 1995

    PGP source code published as a book

  5. 1996

    Investigation dropped; founds PGP Inc.

  6. 2006

    Zfone

  7. 2012

    Co-founds Silent Circle; Internet Hall of Fame

Notable works

  • 1991

    Pretty Good Privacy Software

  • 1995

    The Official PGP User’s Guide Book

Awards and honours

  • EFF Pioneer Award

    1995

  • Norbert Wiener Award

    1996

  • Internet Hall of Fame

    2012

Did you know?

  1. 1

    PGP’s name was inspired by “Ralph’s Pretty Good Grocery” in Garrison Keillor’s stories.

  2. 2

    Exporting the book was legal because printed books are protected speech.

  3. 3

    He said, “If privacy is outlawed, only outlaws will have privacy.”

Connections

Related people

Also born on 12 February

Frequently asked

Who is Phil Zimmermann?

Phil Zimmermann is an American computer scientist who created Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) in 1991, making strong encryption freely available to the public for email and files. He was investigated by the US government for three years for “exporting munitions”, but no charges were filed.

How old is Phil Zimmermann?

Phil Zimmermann is 72 years old, born on 12 February 1954 in Camden, New Jersey, United States.

Where is Phil Zimmermann from?

Phil Zimmermann was born in Camden, New Jersey, United States.

What is Phil Zimmermann known for?

Phil Zimmermann is best known for Pretty Good Privacy (PGP, 1991); ZRTP; Silent Circle.

What awards has Phil Zimmermann received?

Notable honours include EFF Pioneer Award (1995), Norbert Wiener Award (1996), Internet Hall of Fame (2012).

References

  1. Phil Zimmermann — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  2. Official website. philzimmermann.com. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
  3. Phil Zimmermann (Q455938) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.

Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Phil Zimmermann”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more

External links

Official website Website Wikipedia
Filed under EncryptionPGPPrivacy CryptographerSoftware Engineer

About this profile

Cite this page

“Phil Zimmermann.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/phil-zimmermann

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