FBI plans new Net-tapping push

Found on CNet News on Friday, 07 July 2006
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The FBI has drafted sweeping legislation that would require Internet service providers to create wiretapping hubs for police surveillance and force makers of networking gear to build in backdoors for eavesdropping, CNET News.com has learned.

The draft bill would place the FBI's Net-surveillance push on solid legal footing. At the moment, it's ensnared in a legal challenge from universities and some technology companies that claim the Federal Communications Commission's broadband surveillance directives exceed what Congress has authorized.

Require any manufacturer of "routing" and "addressing" hardware to offer upgrades or other "modifications" that are needed to support Internet wiretapping.

Authorize the expansion of wiretapping requirements to "commercial" Internet services including instant messaging if the FCC deems it to be in the "public interest."

Eliminate the current legal requirement saying the Justice Department must publish a public "notice of the actual number of communications interceptions" every year.

Say hello to the police state. In the end, this means you can only use products which are not created for the US. It's easier to switch to open source software; the tricky part is to get unaltered network hardware. Additionally, you should also switch to the strongest encryption to protect your privacy. Perhaps laws will be tweaked a bit more so it would be illegal to use encryption without having a license for it.