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Court Battle Over Internet Calls

Posted by samzenpus on from the tap-out dept.

koweja writes "The federal appeals court has is hearing a petition to overturn an FCC rule that extends current wire-tapping laws to cover VoIP calls. The petition comes from various privacy advocacy groups, including the Center for Democracy and Technology. Aside from the obvious privacy issues, the rule requires that providers use equipment that allows wiretaps, which would require many companies to "upgrade" in order to comply."

6 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. Skype by mboverload · · Score: 4, Insightful

    With a system like Skype, which uses P2P for calls, how would this work?

    I'm kind of ok with wiretapping, just as long as there ISN'T A BACKDOOR. I don't care what they say, a backdoor into anything is a bad idea.

  2. What good does it really do? by bchernicoff · · Score: 3, Insightful

    After all, I could easily write an encrypted P2P voice chat program.
    I'm sure they already exist...

  3. Oh beaurocrats, you so crazy by JustADude · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I feel safer already. Bob Terrorist can send coded messages just about any way he wants to get around this (the apocryphal "coded eBay auction" stories, PGP or any number of other encryption standards, smoke signals, fucking microfiche under a stamp), but the feds can listen to mom swapping corn muffin recipes. Anyone else get the feeling the only "terrorists" caught this way will be the ones too stupid to have really caused any damage to begin with?

    The world is once again safe for democracy.

    Cheers.

  4. Re:But why... by ornil · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Don't laugh, it's a good question. If the wiretapping law is good it should apply to all. If it's bad, go lobby and vote to change it. Making exception for VOIP makes no sense.

  5. Not true. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    route all data through skype servers

    Not true. The secret services can already tap your internet packets. What they need is Skype providing the key to your P2P encryption.

  6. A quick read between the lines by laughingcoyote · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Here's the major problem I see here. For the FBI to wiretap, they must have probable cause and a warrant. With such probable cause/warrant, they can do any number of things, from subpoenaing the suspect's ISP to placing surveillance devices right in the suspect's house. They've already got ways to eavesdrop if they follow the procedures they're required to follow.

    Now, if the FBI had this wiretap authority, they could in effect tap any call, anytime. They would still in theory be required to get a warrant in order to use the stuff in court, but they'd have the switch to flip on. And there's been a push in recent years by you-know-who to allow secret evidence in court proceedings that the suspect gets no opportunity to even view, let alone challenge.

    So, either law enforcement wants to be lazy, or they want an easier way to do an end-run around the rules. Neither way is a comforting thought to me.

    --
    To fight the war on terror, stop being afraid.