FBI Tries To Take A Mile When It Comes To Our Rights

The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 have been used as a rationalization for almost every bill introduced since then. Just mention "terrorists" or "national security" and your bill gets on the express lane through the red tape. The USA PATRIOT Act stole a LOT of our rights as American citizens in the name of "national security" and fighting "terrorism". Most of those provisions have expiration dates after which our rights should be returned to us. But, don't be surprised if Congress secretly extends them indefinitely in a closed session without asking for your opinion on the matter. The latest infringement on our rights comes from the FBI. Concerned that an increase in the use of the Internet as a means of conducting telephone calls could leave them out of the loop, they are seeking an expansion of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA).

CALEA was enacted in 1994 when the FBI claimed that emerging technologies such as call forwarding, call waiting and cellular phones had frustrated surveillance efforts. Now the FBI is lobbying the FCC to push a proposal that would require any company offering cable modem or DSL service to residences or businesses to establish a central hub to allow for surveillance of their customers. For more information you can read the following article from ZDNet: FBI wants to tap Net phones.