The Register ; Internet and Law ; Broadband ;
Original URL:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/05/fcc_approves_voip_wiretaps/
Easy VoIP Wiretaps Coming Soon
By Thomas C Greene (thomas.greene at theregister.co.uk)
Published Thursday 5th August 2004 14:21 GMT
Virtually everything done via TCP/IP, with the (for now) exception of
instant messaging, is on its way to becoming wiretap-friendly, thanks to a
tentative 5-0 decision by the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on
Wednesday.
Thanks to relentless lobbying and fear-mongering by law enforcement outfits
and the companies that sell surveillance equipment to them, all broadband
communications, including VoIP, will have to be modified to allow the Feds
to patch in easily and immediately, in order to comply with the 1994
Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).
VoIP schemes that work only between computers will not be affected. Only
so-called 'managed' services - those that allow VoIP and PSTN to
communicate - will have to comply. Instant messaging is also exempt,
although the Feds lobbied ruthlessly for its inclusion, and will no doubt
continue until the government finally gives it to them.
Encrypted VoIP is available, but only through pricey services geared
towards corporate clients. It is possible that the FCC action might result
in the development of inexpensive encryption solutions for more basic VoIP
services, perhaps via TLS (Transport Layer Security), though it is
difficult to imagine extending encryption to calls where VoIP and PSTN are
communicating.
Other regulatory disputes involving VoIP were not considered in Wednesday's
vote. Additionally, 'push to talk' walkie-talkie mobile phone services are
equally affected by the CALEA, the FCC has decided. It does not appear that
broadband and VoIP providers will receive assistance with the costs of
implementing CALEA compliance, unless Congress decides to come to their
rescue.
The public comment period for VoIP CALEA compliance is still open, but with
such a strong bias visible in Wednesday's preliminary vote, it is highly
unlikely that anything can alter the FCC's direction. Final approval is all
but certain.
Thomas C Greene is the author of Computer Security for the Home and Small
Office (http://basicsec.org), a comprehensive guide to system hardening,
malware protection, online anonymity, encryption, and data hygiene for
Windows and Linux.