The recent expansion of FBI surveillance powers, as mandated by new federal wiretapping rules, has sparked significant legal challenges from telecommunications firms, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions. These regulations, published by the Federal Communications Commission, require Internet service providers and universities to modify their networks to facilitate FBI monitoring of email and web browsing. Critics argue that these measures infringe on civilian privacy and are ineffective against determined criminals who can easily use encryption methods, such as one-time pads, to secure their communications.
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New federal wiretapping rules forcing Internet service providers and universities to rewire their networks for FBI surveillance of e-mail and Web browsing are being challenged in court.
Telecommunications firms, nonprofit organizations and educators are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., to overturn the controversial rules, which dramatically extend the sweep of an 11-year-old surveillance law designed to guarantee police the ability to eavesdrop on telephone calls.
The regulations represent the culmination of years of lobbying by the FBI, the Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration, which have argued that "criminals, terrorists and spies" could cloak their Internet communications with impunity unless police received broad new surveillance powers. The final rules, published this month by the Federal Communications Commission, apply to "any type of broadband Internet access service" and many Internet phone services.
Has http://www.pgp.com/" (Pretty Good Privacy) Ever supplied the FBI with a master key to crack their encryption?Manchot said:I'm sorry, but what the FBI wants is just stupid. Any determined criminal, terrorist, or spy could easily encrypt a message with a one-time pad. It's the average person who would suffer. Once again, we see an example of law enforcement trying to extend its reach over civilians.