Posted on 02/12/2007 9:19:55 PM PST by The Watcher
BTW, many of you may not have noticed. But as of March 14, 2007, EVERY means of access to the internet, except for dialup, will be REQUIRED by the federal government to be tap and record the use by ANY specific user.
Yes, your VOIP phone. Yes, your MSN Messenger chats. Yes, your email. Yes, the content of any website you may visit... OR ANY SOMEONE WHO USES YOUR CONNECTION may visit.
What else is going on? Guess who has to pay for this? The feds? Nope. Your ISP, your phone company, your company (yes, if your company has a network that connects you to the internet, IT TOO HAS TO COMPLY! ).
Scattered across the country, are scores of thousands of small ventures. Some of them are informal arrangements to bring fast internet to a remote neighborhood, some of them are "free" networks brought into existence by computer geeks. Some of them are small ventures where "broadband" (any connection faster than 5X dialup speed) must comply a long list of federal regulations, from registering with the FCC to be "counted" for reporting to industry and Congress, and to comply with a complex set of rules for compliance with wiretapping.
The first federal deadline is tomorrow, Feb 12. On that date, you have to file "compliance" statements. Either you are (and how you are) or if you aren't, how you are going to.
You are expected to list your network topology, equipment manufacturers and methodology for compliance.
Yet, most ISP's have no idea yet how they intend to comply. Few can.
A few companies offer the data sorting and extraction services remotely... The estimated cost for the device alone is $100,000 for that kind of service.
The program is called CALEA, or Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Agencies.
The federal goverment is taking the stance that they demand what they want, and industry is left to define how to do it - to create standards on their own.
Guess who creates the standards? The big guys. Cisco, Telephone companies, network providers. Guess who they want to put out of business? Small providers.
Internet services was the bright star of our economy. ANyone could become an ISP. Countless small companies have created a serves and data revolution that has fueled our economic engine for the last few years.
We may not know it yet. We may not have noticed it yet. But the ISP business is dead. It has been usurped by the federal government, taken over. Network design and operations are now controlled by Big Brother. Technologies and operational techniques are now mandated by federal desires to NOT HAVE TO DO ANY WORK to spy on you.
I have devoted the last 4 years of my life to building, from NOTHING a broadband business, to bring services to areas that will never get them otherwise. I have yet to earn a paycheck. Every dime I have been able to get through sales has been reinvested in this venture.
And I am seriously considering writing my customers letters tomorrow, explaining that as of a short time from now, they will have to find a new provider, as I will have to abandon the business, as I have no money with which to fund "compliance".
One more example of runamok government.
Yup, it looks like I accidently wrote March instead of May.
Sorry.
The Ten Planks of the Communist Manifesto.
6. Centralization of the means of communication and transportation in the hands of the State
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1547574/posts
Don't care? Why should I care? You breaking the law?
Let me explain. The FCC basically has stated that CALEA compliance for an ISP means that they must have the ability to verbatim copy and echo EVERY packet of information, to the whatever LEA requests it.
There is currently no defined standard means of doing this.
But you are doing to have to comply with an "industry standard" whatever those may turn out to be, by May 14.
It's a shame that most Americans fail to realize that when they keep consolidating power in the larger entities (enforced by their duly elected representatives who get paid off by said large entities), they are just making things worse for themselves. But the sheeple keep giving away their freedoms, rights, and prosperity.
That explains why you're supporting a statist for President.
There is a major difference between ISP surveillance capability and ISP record-keeping. What is described in the thread is not merely ensuring the ability to monitor user activity persuant court orders but rather maintaining a permanent, comprehensive record of user activity. Those are hardly the same.. As best I can tell, CALEA does the former, not the latter.
When CALEA was written, it was intended to require the telephone companies to have electronic or computer voice switching equipment that actually COULD be tapped, like the taps of days gone by.
In 1994, VOIP and broadband were technical curiousities.
The DOJ and FCC and FBI continue to push to expand the area the law covers.
If you are breaking the law, then we are tracking you. We know what you are doing. We are everywhere... I see you right now.
I thought the same thing!
There is no cost shifting or other assistance for ISP's. Those programs were solely for telcos.
You know my agency is watching you right? You really shouldn't look at those sites.
Sad.
This is correct. Surveillance, not record-keeping, is the intent and purpose of CALEA.
BTW, there is a companion requirement with the surveillance requirements... A "confidentiality gaurantee".
Basically, covered communication types must be gauranteed "secure" ( you can't be hacked ) while at the same time, building in a standard means of "tapping".
"If you are breaking the law, then we are tracking you. We know what you are doing. We are everywhere... I see you right now."
Yes, you are being tracked Porterville, and your doctor has indicated that you should up your dose and go to bed.
Interesting. I am very connected to this department in my large company and there is no mention of any compliance project. And we have a LOT of compliance projects.
I need more evidence.
You really shouldn't be hosting them.
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