CALEA¶
The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) is a US law passed in 1994 that mandates telecommunications providers be able to allow the US government to monitor telephone, broadband internet, and VoIP traffic in real-time.
The law applies to telephone companies, and internet service providers. Currently, it does not apply to companies that merely provide a communication service on the internet, unless that service is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
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CALEA II¶
The Obama administration is hard at work proposing sweeping changes to wiretap law in the United States. These bills have not yet been made public, but what we know so far is frightening.
Timeline:
- September 27, 2010. The New York Times first reports on plans to expand wiretap laws to all internet communication services. U.S. Tries to Make It Easier to Wiretap the Internet.
- October 18, 2010. The New York Times reports on Administration attempts to create tougher requirements for telecommunication providers to allow wiretapping by law enforcement. Officials Push to Bolster Law on Wiretapping.
- November 2, 2010. An editorial in the New York Times highlights how the push to rewrite technology to allow wiretaps could disrupt the decentralized nature of the internet and harm economic growth. Major Technical Difficulties.
- February 16th, 2011. Documents released under FOIA request show the FBI has been campaigning for massively expanded powers under CALEA.
- May 11th, 2011. New Department of Justice Documents Fail to Justify Expanding CALEA.
