Got this from Scott Loughrey’s blog…

The legislation, known as the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) obliges telephone companies to make it possible for law enforcement agencies to intercept any phone conversations carried out over its networks, as well as making call records available. The act also stipulates that it must not be possible for a person to detect that his or her conversation is being monitored by the respective government agency.

An order issued by the Federal Communications Commission in August and first published in the Federal Register of October 13 extends the requirement of the 1994 legislation to cover broadband Internet access services, including wireless and voice-over-IP (VoIP) Internet telephony services.

Universities required to comply

The far-ranging implications of this are highlighted in an appeal being prepared by lawyers for the American Council on Education. The largest association of universities and colleges is preparing to appeal the order before the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. According to the New York Times, the universities do not question the government’s right to implement wiretaps but are appealing on the grounds of cost—in excess of $7 billion, according to estimates by some professionals. But the cost is itself indicative of the extent of the threat to privacy and democratic rights contained in the order.

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