FCC: companies must backdoor broadband, VOIP, devices for FBI

[evermind]

FCC Issues Rule Allowing FBI to Dictate Wiretap-Friendly Design for Internet Services

Tech Mandates Force Companies to Build Backdoors into Broadband, VoIP
August 5th, 2005

Washington, DC - Today the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a release (PDF) announcing its new rule expanding the reach of the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). The ruling is a reinterpretation of the scope of CALEA and will force Internet broadband providers and certain voice-over-IP (VoIP) providers to build backdoors into their networks that make it easier for law enforcement to wiretap them. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has argued against this expansion of CALEA in several rounds of comments to the FCC on its proposed rule.

CALEA, a law passed in the early 1990s, mandated that all telephone providers build tappability into their networks, but expressly ruled out information services like broadband. Under the new ruling from the FCC, this tappability now extends to Internet broadband providers as well.

Practically, what this means is that the government will be asking broadband providers - as well as companies that manufacture devices used for broadband communications – to build insecure backdoors into their networks, imperiling the privacy and security of citizens on the Internet. It also hobbles technical innovation by forcing companies involved in broadband to redesign their products to meet government requirements.

"Expanding CALEA to the Internet is contrary to the statute and is a fundamentally flawed public policy," said Kurt Opsahl, EFF staff attorney. "This misguided tech mandate endangers the privacy of innocent people, stifles innovation and risks the functionality of the Internet as a forum for free and open expression."

(... continues ...)

From the EFF, at http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2005_08.php#003876

(Edit for formatting)

[KitchenWitch]

1. Big Brother, is that you?

[teryang]

2. Back to the USSR

What country is this? Clearly not the one with a document called the Constitution of the United States.

[lala_rawraw]

15. Been that, done that... came here, now what? :(

[snot]

3. another nomination & kick

[LincolnMcGrath]

4. This way they can plant something awful in your

hard drive if you cause to much trouble. :scared: Scott Ritter comes to mind.

[FreedomAngel82]

5. Scary

:scared: If you're not along with the populaist (in this case Bush) and people call the FCC on you then yeah.. :\

[rateyes]

6. The FCC & the FBI need to join forces and call themselves

the KGB. This USED to be the United freaking States of America.

[sunnystarr]

7. When they have that backdoor set up can it be accessed by

others knowledgable about computer technology? Does this move not only spy on us but make us vulnerable to other attacks that can steal our identities when we make purchases on our puters? Obviously we won't be able to protect ourselves from government intrusion with our firewalls, does this extend to those who can also tap in?

[evermind]

9. Depends how it's done. But anyone who buys a backdoored

device can potentially examine the code in it. That doesn't look good to me - stuff like that doesn't have a good record of staying secure.

Maybe there's some way of doing it that's cryptographically strong, but it only takes one person to crack it, and then the whole community of computer criminals and security experts gets to know.

I think that's why the story described it as an "insecure" measure.

[jbnow]

8. I know this is for investigations

which we know will be abused.

But if there is an non secure backdoors isn't that also a further threat in general? That is thieves getting access to personal and financial information, identity theft and so on? Wouldn't it make hacking easier? Should hackers send them a thank you note and a dozen roses?

I am not computer savvy, maybe I am wrong. Hope so.

But then I always thought if I were a terrorist I'd have the best computer experts I could get. So much of our society is dependent on computers and it would be easy to wreak havoc. Don't know if this would open the door for that too.

[wli]

10. COINTELPRO goes online

"It's only for investigating criminals... it's friendly fascism."

Sure it is.

[phusion]

11. This is horrible...

Welcome to the new world order!

Oh, and since when did the FCC have jurisdiction over ISPs? Voice over IP, maybe...But regular internet communication?

Is this a first step towards indecency regulation on US-based internet sites?

[evermind]

12. Dunno about FCC jurisdiction, but they're busy just now

FCC Reclassifies Broadband Service

The FCC has finally reclassified broadband service, giving the baby bells and the cable companies what they've wanted for so long, equal footing with the ISPs. DSL is now officially an "information service" and not "telecommunications", and phone and cable operators will no longer be subject to common carrier rules. However, for the next year, phone companies must still make their lines available to ISPs, and DSL providers must still make their lines accessible to law enforcement in conformity with CALEA. See the FCC's press release here. See the FCC's policy statement on Internet access here.

http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/media_law_prof_blog/2005/08/fcc_reclassifie.html

[phusion]

13. Slashdot commentary...

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/05/08/06/2157202.shtml?tid=172&tid=158&tid=103&tid=218&tid=219

Some insightful comments...

[Stil]

14. Remember carnivore?

Almost the same thing as from 2000. But this project is a lot bigger.
http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/carnivore/