Today is the official deadline for compliance with the FCC’s new interpretation of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act(CALEA).
Cable modem companies, DSL providers, broadband over powerline, satellite internet companies and even some universities all have until the end of today to ensure “…the ability of law enforcement agencies to conduct electronic surveillance by requiring that telecommunications carriers and manufacturers of telecommunications equipment modify and design their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that they have the necessary surveillance capabilities.”
The Justice Department began lobbying the FCC in 2002 to reinterpret the law as applying to the internet as well and last June a divided federal appeals court upheld the expansion 2-1.
Basically, this means that starting today the FBI will have the ability to wiretap your internet connection, and means that “Common carriers, facilities-based broadband Internet access providers, and providers of interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service…” must all now have incorporated into their networks the ability for law enforcement agencies to snoop on those for which they have a court ordered warrant.
It’s been pointed out however, that even though it may not necessarily be easier to get a warrant and eavesdrop on somebody, the temptation to do so and avoid real gumshoe detective work will be high. Instead of having to really investigate what a person is up to, they may choose to just try and take a look at what they’re doing instead.
Also, what will eventually happen I think is that the RIAA and the MPAA will try to petition courts to snoop on suspected file-sharers and gather intelligence and incriminating information with which to build a case against them.
I mean look how they were able to get so many congressman on board with the whole crackdown on colleges and universities, invoking phrases like “file-trafficking” and warning against job layoffs and unemployment due to losses from piracy. I mean if a law is being broken who’s to say which ones they will or will not enforce? I think its only a matter of time.
No longer will ISPs be able to claim that it just doesn’t have the means to assist copyright holders in determining who has been uploading content illegally, for now they will be able to monitor an IP address and all the traffic that it’s responsible for on the network.
It also means that the govt will now have the ability to monitor for other illegal activity, like buying prescription drugs from Canada, browsing and purchasing drug paraphanalia like bongs, pipes, etc., or perhaps even forums or chatrooms of leftist or other radical organizations.
After today the internet will forever be under the watchful eye of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and you can rest assured that corporations and other private entities will do in everything in their power to use this resource for their own ends.
** UPDATE > Alberto Gonzalez now proposes giving law enforcement “…access to the full range of lawful investigative tools when they investigate intellectual property crimes.” ———————————– READ MORE **
(I hate to say I told you so but, isn’t it funny how compliance and increased enforcement of copyright protection laws have coincided with one another?)
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is this mean that the fbi can help fight p2p or terrorism.
if the latter then !!!!WHEW!!!
Sounds to me like people are going to need encrypted software on their pc’s now just to chat and surf the web whoever makes that software and releases it is going to clean up.
Eveyrone NEEDS TO RELAX! I do not think that this is “big brother”. Sure it DOES have a potential for abuse but ordinary people can also sue the pants off the government if they are spied on and the government cannot prove that they did anything wrong in a court of law!
This phrase gives a clue as to what the feds can and cannot do…..”their networks the ability for law enforcement agencies to snoop on those for which they have a COURT ORDERED WARRANT.” Well in case you diodn’t know…they could have done that anyway! Even before this law was introduced. If they have a suspect that they think is going to commit a terrorist act they always could get the ISP to monitor that indivudial…that is nothing new.
So if the feds DO try to snoop on regular people without a warrant they can still be sued.
Now I do not think the RIAA or MPAA will be sucsessful in their efforts to try to get access to this either because it would take a court ordered warrant and I do not know how many judges are going to be willing to grant them to a private organization not affiliated with law enforcement.
Just my opinion on all of this.
And my opinion is people do need to freak out about this – loud and often. Apathy is your enemy here. “Relax” is precisely the wrong advise. Establishing a larger legal comfort zone for things like back doors and red flagging is a dangerous door to open wider.
From the time we were kids we were always told and to taught to SHARE! Now many of us (multi-purpose internet users) will be to paranoid to fart the wrong way while surfingsharing…etc…
And one more thing *Fart*!..he he he. I’m such a rebel LOL
“Also what will eventually happen I think is that the RIAA and the MPAA will try to petition courts to snoop on suspected file-sharers and gather intelligence and incriminating information with which to build a case against them.”
Pure speculation CALEA was established for criminal investigations not private ones. In order to use this the RIAA etc would have to convince a law enforcement agency the cause warrants a criminal investigation unlikely for all but major offenders. Since the RIAA and MPAA are not law enforcement their petitions to the courts to use this capability would have to be denied.
@prh99
Yes but all it would take is a bit of lobbying on their part to get lawmakers to pass legislation authorizing it to take a look at suspected file-sharers.
I mean look how they were able to get so many congressman on board with the whole crackdown on colleges and universities invoking phrases like “file-trafficking” and warning against job layoffs and unemployment due to losses from piracy.
They always start off staying no that wont happen but look at smoking. First they say okay no smoking in offices. TRhen its no smoking in bars. Then its no smoking on beaches then on sidewalks and in cars.
Once the technology is up and available it will be an easy temptation to use it. Dont you think the RIAA and the MPAA and their consultants are already trying to figure out how to be able to convince law enforcement that it should be used to stop copyright infringement?
I mean if a law is being broken who’s to say which ones they will or will not enforce? I think its only a matter of time. Hell who would’ve thought the govt would try to ban internet gambling?
I don’t think any law would be passed to allow for the MPAA and RIAA to use the system. What you may see however is a law making it a criminal offense to be file sharing copyrighted works. Then they wouldn’t have to monitor it law enforcement agents would have the authority themselves to monitor you. Just my speculation.
@ Mountain Rage
Yah thats what Im saying is that corporate interests particularly copyright enforcement orgs would be able to get law enforcement to tap into it for the purpose of enforcing intellectual property and DMCA regulations.
Theres already laws against illegal file-sharing this would just make it possible for widespread or enhanced enforcement.
I use Relakks and the Tor Button Plug-In for anonymity with Firefox and I use Hushmail to maintain my relakks account but I wonder if using these services acts as some kind of “red flag” as far as the FBI is concerned (did I automatically become the subject of some kind of investigation just by using these services?) and I wonder if Tor servers are not actually controlled by the FBI or other intelligence agencies. Actually I kind of doubt either option is 100% secure (ie not infiltrated by so-called “jackbooted thugs”). But these are the best options I know of for guarding my privacy and as far as I can tell our rights have been eroded pointlessly and needlessly. So using these resources is like making a mild political statement an objection to government overstepping its bounds – I think everyone should do it. Oh and by the way Big Brother you don’t belong in our bedrooms either…
RELAKKS Safe Surf (http://www.relakks.com – EUR 5.00 per month )…
The Service consists of an encrypted VPN tunnel between your computer and RELAKKS. The IP-number you receive from your existing ISP is only used to connect your computer to RELAKKSfrom there on RELAKKS substitute your existing IP-number with a new IP-number from RELAKKS. This gives you a number of advantages:
· Your existing ISP will not be able to intercept and track your applications or communication
· Your existing ISP can not limit what you can do nor limit what information you can access
· Other organizations or individuals can’t intercept or track your applications or communication.
And Torpark or Tor Button…
Torrify/Torpak (I use the free browser) http://www.torrify.com/intro.html – They also offer “secure offshore servers” and “secure email” as well as “anonymous payment processing”. $35+ per month. (I think it’s SLOW and expensive for my simple purposes.)
Torbutton is a 1-click way for Firefox users to enable or disable the browser’s use of Tor. It adds a panel to the statusbar that says “Tor Enabled” (in green) or “Tor Disabled” (in red)… http://freehaven.net/~squires/torbutton/
Oh and http://www.anonymous-p2p.org/ – great resource. Spread the word.
Yah I love that Tor plug-in for firefox
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/2275
“And my opinion is people do need to freak out about this – loud and often. Apathy is your enemy here. “Relax” is precisely the wrong advise. Establishing a larger legal comfort zone for things like back doors and red flagging is a dangerous door to open wider.
”
Well you sound a bit paranoid to me. I think before I am going to act like the sky is falling I am going to want more facts other than this!
I never said it could not be used for other purposes but I simply don’t think it is something to get all worked up about.
If you remember a few years ago people were all worried because the feds raided a place called Loki torrents and grabbed all the logs of the site! Everone freaked saying it was the end of bit torrent or filesharing…..know what happened? A handful of people that ran the site were arrested and nothing more!
People tend to be like horses…ready to run at the slightest sound.
Do you really think the bastards haven’t already been snooping? I have done back traces on “people” who attempted to scan my PC’s ports on and more than one occasion the results came back FBI and US Govt. IP ranges. This is is just the icing for their thuggish cake.
Well fellas I told you so….
Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2007 wil crack down on file-sharing
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/8770/Intellectual+Property+Protection+Act+of+2007+wil+crack+down+on+file-sharing
God Bless AMERICA!! (puke) That is why I left that sinkingdecrepit joke of a country.
“Well you sound a bit paranoid to me.”
And you sound a bit naive to me. I suggest they create strengthened capabilities like this because they want to use them. Is that paranoid or common sense?
Two opinions. As time progresses one will prove to be more correct than the other. The recent news in the link 2 posts above supports my side.
@N Fiddledog….YOU are the one that is Niave! They cannot even stop p2p as it is…so what makes you think they are going to suddenly be able to stop it now?
Because they passed a stupid law that says basically the SAME thing as the laws they alwaays had on the books??? Weather or not you believe it the US Government could have ALWAYS confiscated your computer for infringement…they have always “snooped” on people before…So exactly WHAT is different?
Nothing.
You can pass all the laws you want but until you can enforce them they are meaningless!