Obama administration wants to make it easier to wiretap the Internet

[brentspeak]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27wiretap.html

Published: September 27, 2010

WASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement and national security officials are preparing to seek sweeping new regulations for the Internet, arguing that their ability to wiretap criminal and terrorism suspects is “going dark” as people increasingly communicate online instead of by telephone.

Essentially, officials want Congress to require all services that enable communications — including encrypted e-mail transmitters like BlackBerry, social networking Web sites like Facebook and software that allows direct “peer to peer” messaging like Skype — to be technically capable of complying if served with a wiretap order. The mandate would include being able to intercept and unscramble encrypted messages.

The bill, which the Obama administration plans to submit to lawmakers next year, raises fresh questions about how to balance security needs with protecting privacy and fostering innovation. And because security services around the world face the same problem, it could set an example that is copied globally...

[bluestateguy]

1. I could actually see a GOP Congress blocking this

IF it came from Obama, because they would frame it as Obama seeking to use these powers to crack down on the teabaggers. So as long as Obama is president, they would not give this bill to him.

But a GOP Congress would be happy to give such powers to a president of their own.