FCC Rules that Broadband and VoIP Providers Must Accommodate Wiretaps
The FCC has issued a press release announcing that it will now require certain providers of broadband and Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) to build backdoor into their networks to accommodate law enforcement wiretaps.
The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) requires the FCC to preserve the ability of law enforcement agencies to conduct court-ordered wiretaps with respect to "telecommunication carriers". The FCC determined that certain broadband and Voip providers fit the definition of "telecommunication carriers" under the ACt because these services can act as a "replacement for a substantial portion of the local telephone exchange."
The Commissioner of the FCC, Kathleen Q. Abernathy, released a statement expressing that the ruling is a response to recommendations and concerns raised by the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Agency about the dangers posed by criminals and terrorists.
Critics of the ruling have expressed the fear that broadband providers will be forced to build insecure backdoors into their systems, which can can be exploited to threaten the privacy and security of all Internet users.
Posted by Steve Chung