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VOIP Tappings Under Scrutiny

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the as-well-they-should-be dept.

dynooomite writes "CNN.com is reporting that Privacy groups have asked an appellate court to overturn an FCC rule that allows for phone-taps on VOIP calls. The privacy groups made their case saying taps would seriously hinder innovation on the web."

5 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. The facts here are simple by Work+Account · · Score: 5, Insightful

    To "sit on a wire" anywhere you should need a probable cause and a warrant.

    Anyone without this is simply hacking, which is illegal.

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    1. Re:The facts here are simple by DrJimbo · · Score: 5, Insightful
      To "sit on a wire" anywhere you should need a probable cause and a warrant.
      If by should, you mean in a ideal world, or at least in a world more ideal than ours, then I fully agree with you that such things should be needed. Unfortunately they are not, unless the Patriot Act was recently repealed and no one told me.

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  2. Innovation? by P3NIS_CLEAVER · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What does innovation have to do with it? Aren't our constitutional rights more important than if companies can make money off something?

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  3. Re:What type of lawsuit? by MaceyHW · · Score: 5, Insightful

    IANAL, but judging by the similar pattern of events with the "broadcast flag" it has to do with the fact that this is a regulation created by the FCC, not a law passed by Congress. FCC decisions can be challenged in court because the FCC has a specific, limited mandate and you can argue that it has exceeded it's authority.

    Also, the "seriously hinder innovation" line is most likely a rhetorical tool more than the actual central legal argument of the case

  4. policy makers lack of understanding by ChrisGilliard · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Articles like this show that the people making laws do not understand what their talking about. It's very easy to encrypt your data (including voice conversations). If the US decides that all VOIP should be tapable/unencrypted, the bad guys can use a service based in a foreign country that doesn't force phone taps. They can then communicate. Or better yet, they can develop their own software to encrypt phone calls and would anyone notice? No way, it would just sounds like static or something. Sorry guys, but there's no way to block people from encrypting stuff and keeping their keys locked safely in their own possession. Unless of course, you make encryption illegal, which would be difficult to do, because the privacy hounds would never let something like that happen.

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