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VOIP Progress To Be Hobbled By Wiretap Costs?

Posted by Hemos on from the changing-the-base-level-assumptions dept.

vaporland writes "This article @ nytimes.com talks about the reasons that development of commercial VOIP may be stifled by the costs required to allow the federal government to listen in on conversations. It is the intention of the FBI, et al, to provide a truly unfunded mandate to force VOIP service providers to develop and provide this wiretap access to them at no cost to the U.S. government, which is to say, the consumer of VOIP will foot the bill for allowing the government to listen in on our phone calls. Perhaps they should just hire some script kiddies to show them how to do it on the cheap?"

10 of 392 comments (clear)

  1. Script Tix are for Kids by slashnutt · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The PGP Phone Project is dead now but it would be great of GPGP would revive it. The script kiddes would have a much tougher time cracking this and this is why the goverment is wanting a little help.

  2. Re:Better idea.. by ifdef · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In that case, it won't be long at all before the use of encryption becomes illegal. Simply using encryption will be a enough to put you behind bars, regardless of what you are encrypting.

    That's how a police state works.

  3. Dang! And I just signed up for Vonage... by jbarr · · Score: 3, Interesting

    While none of us would like to incur more fees, the simple fact that my Vonage bill is currently about $60.00 less per month then my Bell South bill, a small additional fee to cover this wouldn't be so bad. You can debate the pros and cons of whether or not VoIP wiretapping should even be done, but if it does, a small added fee to an already inexpensive service shouldn't be a problem.

    --
    My mom always said, "Jim, you're 1 in a million." Given the current population, there are 7000 of me. God help us all!
    1. Re:Dang! And I just signed up for Vonage... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I have been a vonage customer without a traditional land line for about 6 months now. I dont use the phone often, and their 500 minutes a month plan works out perfectly for me. At only 14.99 a month, its about 10 dollars cheaper than having a phone line "turned on" in my house. And the benefits I get from being able to call long distance is just the frosting on the cake.

      Anyway, I knew when they announced that VOIP providers would have to start being tappable that the costs would eventually make it my way. I dont think that it will be in the form of an extra charge, I just forsee my monthly bill going up by about 2-3 dollars probably to "cover our rising costs of operations". All VOIP providers will probably be forced to do the same.

      As for the people wondering why you feel like you should be charged for the wire-tapping capabilities, it's just part of the cost associated with your BELL bill or whatever landline it is that you have, that's why VOIP has been much less expensive on the overall. I think in the near future we will see that gap begin to close in though...

  4. Re:I forgot... by Sanity · · Score: 5, Interesting
    When did it become the duty of a government to spy on its own citizens and force them to pay for the privelege of being spied on?
    Since the constitution went from being a list of things the government can do to a list of the things it can't.
  5. Re:Who do you think ultimately pays for it anyway? by Potor · · Score: 3, Interesting
    For the sake of argument, let's say that the that wiretapping VOIP is necessary for our freedom and well-being and children and all that.

    If the end-users do not pay the VOIP provider for the cost of the wiretap, then the money will ultimately come from taxes. Which method do you think would be more cost-effective and better managed?

  6. Re:Then you should approve nuking Paris...? by nkh · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Encryption is no more limited in France. More funny, GnuPG is one of the officially allowed softwares anyone can use!

    May I add for t_allardyce that someone on Kuro5hin.org has been interrogated by some US agency (I don't remember which one) just by posting a message saying "it would be a good thing to kill the (US) president."

  7. Re:Better idea.. by topynate · · Score: 3, Interesting

    No, being incapable of providing the key is a valid defence. Skype makes it easy to prove that you don't have the key, so no one can be imprisoned for using it.

  8. Maybe they should... by Muad'Dave · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...quit trying to force the use of technological solutions. I'd rather require them to physically place a bug in my cell phone (or PC mic) than require all of this accursed intrusion and cost.

    --
    Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
  9. I don't get it. by pclminion · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Why do you people complain about this, but not about traditional wiretaps on traditional phones? You seem to think the government is eager to listen to your communications, yet the vast majority of people continue to use the telephone system regardless. Are you being purposefully inconsistent, or just stupid?

    Are you trying to say the government should never be allowed to eavesdrop on criminal communications even with a warrant?! I can't distinguish between that and anarchy. Can somebody please help me?