more on FBI, Justice Dept. seek wiretaps for VoIP conversations [priv]

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

Delivered-To: dfarber+ () ux13 sp cs cmu edu
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 2004 11:11:50 -0800
From: Lauren Weinstein <lauren () vortex com>
Subject: Re: [IP] FBI, Justice Dept. seek wiretaps for VoIP conversations 
[priv]
To: dave () farber net
Cc: lauren () vortex com


> The agencies have asked the Federal Communications Commission to order
> companies offering voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service to
> rewire their networks to guarantee police the ability to eavesdrop on
> subscribers' conversations.

The implications of this go far beyond VoIP.  Any such orders would
essentially by definition ban the use of end-to-end (caller-to-caller)
encryption where the VoIP provider does not have access to the keys.

Now imagine the same rationale applied to ISPs and their subscribers'
e-mail or other non-voice Internet services.  The same arguments being
used in the VoIP case could easily resurface in a resurrected push to
ban or otherwise control encryption systems more generally.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren () pfir org or lauren () vortex com or lauren () privacyforum org
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR - People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, Fact Squad - http://www.factsquad.org
Co-Founder, URIICA - Union for Representative International Internet
                     Cooperation and Analysis - http://www.uriica.org
Moderator, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy 

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