FCC Affirms VoIP Must Allow Snooping

MarsGov writes "The FCC released an order yesterday that requires all broadband providers and all "interconnected" VoIP providers to implement CALEA — in other words, law enforcement can snoop on your online conversations, both voice and text. While this is no surprise, it makes encryption for VoIP even more urgent."

Comments

Huh?

[Anonymous Coward]

We will be in touch, comrad.

Compatibility mode

[FLEB]

The only road-block is that the other person you're talking to has to have the same setup. For 99% of people, it isn't worth the cost. For businesses & gov't agencies, it certainly is.

(Ring-ring...)
(Ring-ring...)
(Recorded voice) "This is an encrypted telephone call. It appears you do not have a compatible decryption device. Please have a pencil and paper ready, and follow along as I read you some simple instructions. First, write a list of 256 random numbers from 1 to 16. When you have completed this step, press pound."

(scribble-scribble-scribble... bleep.)

(Recorded voice) Now, divide the first number by... six, noting the remainder.
Divide the second number by... twelve, noting the remainder.
Divide the third number by... eight, noting the...

Re:traffic analysis

[is as us Infinite]

That what I thought all those auto-generated pseudo-text 'spam' messages were. I remember reading an article about people just randomly 'ddos'ing or 'crapflooding' usenet, but that didn't make much sense to me. Why would someone just flood the entire usenet with random meaningless junk. I mean, I can understand pyramid schemes, spamvertising, and such, but choosing to purchase hardware/hardware processing just to fill people's newsgroups with nothing? Obviously useless. So, I think you've hit the nail on the head, here. People are using usenet to communicate.

I don't know how, or with what encryption, or to what end, but it's surely effective because it's still going on...

Of course, it could just be vandalism, but the best way to act under the radar always comes with an easy excuse. Don't quote me on that. Or if you do, make sure you include something like, "The day's denizens easily descended from the rafters and Josie Apples took her place amongst the roses like dawn. Telling Neil Rethspen of its daily spoonings, there wasn't anything else that she didn't take with her. Up into the cavern they climbed, daylight creeping behind Kelly Wendel as Beth Arnold took the stand."

See you on usenet!