Multiple nations enact mysterious export controls on quantum computers

This is reminiscent of the US government considering PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) with keys larger than 40 bits to be munitions and so could only be exported under license.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy#Criminal_i...

Sounds very much like someone did some theoretical work that said at 34 qubits you can do something interesting, and then other nations started copying the restriction while trying to figure out the why...

Or maybe the other way around. Maybe that to do something interesting, it would take at least 34 qubits.

Very interesting, anyone have any insight into why 34 qubits was chosen?

42 was already taken. /s

Because reliable quantum computers with a large number of qbits can, in theory, break traditional encryption schemes relatively easily (once you have the tech) and a lot of our society, economy, national security, and privacy relies on traditional encryption schemes.

Someone in charge looks at the potential harm a thing can do by imagining themselves in a sociopath's shoes and gets justifiably scared. Dan Brown or Tom Clancy gets to sell another book, etc.