FCC Approves Net-wiretapping Taxes

[katty]

cont'd:
http://news.com.com/FCC+approves+Net-wiretapping+taxes/2100-1028_3-6067971.html?tag=nefd.lede

FCC approves Net-wiretapping taxes
By Declan McCullagh and Anne Broache
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Published: May 3, 2006, 10:53 AM PDT
Last modified: May 3, 2006, 1:11 PM PDT

update WASHINGTON--Broadband providers and Internet phone companies will have to pick up the tab for the cost of building in mandatory wiretap access for police surveillance, federal regulators ruled Wednesday.

The Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to levy what likely will amount to wiretapping taxes on companies, municipalities and universities, saying it would create an incentive for them to keep costs down and that it was necessary to fight the war on terror. Universities have estimated their cost to be about $7 billion.


"The first obligation is...the safety of the people," said FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat. "This commission supports efforts to protect the public safety and homeland security of the United States and its people."

Federal police agencies have spent years lobbying for mandatory backdoors for easy surveillance, saying "criminals, terrorists and spies" could cloak their Internet communications with impunity unless centralized wiretapping hubs become mandatory. Last year, the FCC set a deadline of May 14, 2007, for compliance. But universities, libraries and some technology companies have filed suit against the agency, and arguments before a federal court are scheduled for Friday.

"We're going to have a lot of fights over cost reimbursement," Al Gidari, a partner at the law firm of Perkins Coie, who is co-counsel in the lawsuit, said in an interview after the vote. "It continues the lunacy of their prior order and confirms they've learned nothing from what's been filed" in the lawsuit, he said.

The original 1994 law, called the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA, authorized $500 million to pay telecommunications carriers for the cost of upgrading their networks to facilitate wiretapping.

[Ian David]

1. WELL... the telecom companies lie down with Republicans....

they wake-up with fees.

[bluerum]

2. Ok - let me get this straight. I pay increased ISP costs -

to support the infrastructure that will allow municipal "law enforcement" agencies to tap my phone and data transmissions? Can't tell you how much safer all this makes me feel.

As Eddie Murphy said - Uhhh - ok.

[katty]

5. sounds like it - we pay to let the spies spy on us

we are not "the people" we are "the slaves"

[ixion]

3. those republicans sure do love their fees and taxes

how they get away with being the party of 'less taxes' is beyond me. :crazy:

[lvx35]

4. I'm so sick of this nonsense.

I just don't buy that spies are talking to each other about their secret missions on AIM or something and police just can't tap it. I just don't buy it.