Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

One more industry falls
vanity | The Watcher

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.


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: bigbrother; govwatch; privacy
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-138 next last
To: The Watcher
SO, what are the keywords?

Even the FedGov can handle only so much.

ECHELON, CARNIVORE, both relied on keywords.

They got spammed by people discussing things in which those words were innocuously used, and it can happen again.

41 posted on 02/12/2007 10:08:33 PM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AntiGuv
This is old news being dredged up for the 10th time. SINCE CLINTON, we have had "Carnivore" and one other program that starts with an "E"( the name escapes me right now and I'm too lazy to look it up for others), to do whatever it takes to find terrorists like the OK City bomber and David Koresh,( member them?) Janet Reno sought and got permission to cull out e-mail and IM traffic to find Christians that believe Jesus is coming back. Nothing has changed.

If this is so dangerous, why can't they catch these bastids that post "You Tube" video's of be-headings and blowing up our soldiers? If and when they pull one of us into court for posting on FR, then we can get excited. The problem with libs is they know they are going to be the first to fall under this law. THEY are the ones wanting to kill Bush and blow up churches.

I am a 30 year retiree from SBC and worked on the circuits AlGore wanted to send all fiber pipes to Virginia so they could dial into any and all phone traffic( that's DSL also) to listen in. Remember back when AlGore wanted us to all be digital(cell phones too) by such and such date? Fiber runs in rings and the equipment to monitor it can be here or Canada, Mexico, or anywhere. SBC had a plan at one time to send all traffic to Mexico to replace US workers that you might talk to for service. It never happened, but it was discussed. I think it ended up in India. Supposedly, you still have to get a warrant to tap communication, but they can listen to anybody anytime in the time it takes to punch in a LEN number in your central office. The truth is, someone in India could punch you up and read your e-mails or listen to you phone calls whenever they wanted. They might get into trouble if the contractor wanted to keep the contract with the phone company, but hey, who knows who is interested in what and for how much? I'm sure there are safeguards to set off alarms if someone is doing this illegally, but there is alway someone with a password and authority if it is needed.

The other name is "Echelon" or some such spelling. It takes me awhile, but it's all still there.

42 posted on 02/12/2007 10:09:06 PM PST by chuckles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: RobRoy

If you have a large company, and your in-house network provides web connect to the employees, likely you have to comply.

Since most non-ISP companies haven't paid any attention, most won't know they're required to comply.

Basically, the FCC has said that you must "obtain professional legal and technical consultation" to know HOW and WHAT you must do.

So, your first stop is not hte net, you need to have your legal department investigate.


43 posted on 02/12/2007 10:10:00 PM PST by The Watcher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: The Watcher

Well, that explains the degredation in the satellite link service on the oil rig I work on. Jeepers, that has slowed down--it used to be multiples faster.


44 posted on 02/12/2007 10:12:08 PM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: The Watcher

>>If you have a large company, and your in-house network provides web connect to the employees, likely you have to comply. <<

Yes. If it were real. I have seen no such project even discussed in our project assessment meetings. We have many thousands of employees with internet connectivity.


45 posted on 02/12/2007 10:12:46 PM PST by RobRoy (Islam is a greater threat to the world today than Nazism was in 1938.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: chuckles

You're welcome to debate the politics of this all you want.

AT this moment, it is NOT my "politics" at stake, but my business, and mandates to countless thousands of unprepared and non-compliant businesses, universities, ISP's, and so on, all over the nation.


46 posted on 02/12/2007 10:13:02 PM PST by The Watcher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: freepatriot32; traviskicks; Calpernia

BTTT!


47 posted on 02/12/2007 10:14:24 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (Duncan Hunter: Hope of America)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RobRoy

"If it were real"???

What are you talking about?

CALEA enforcement and compliance mandates are VERY real.

Again, the issue is not that it's not real. The issue is that hardly anyone knows yet, what they'll be required to do.


48 posted on 02/12/2007 10:14:45 PM PST by The Watcher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: chuckles

I use my neighbors WI-fi and there are free Wi-fi coffee shops all over this area. It is no problem to be completely anonymous unless "they" actually get their hands physically on your computer.


49 posted on 02/12/2007 10:14:47 PM PST by RobRoy (Islam is a greater threat to the world today than Nazism was in 1938.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: The Watcher
EVERY means of access to the internet, except for dialup, will be REQUIRED by the federal government to be tape and record the use by ANY specific user.

Um, no.

50 posted on 02/12/2007 10:15:22 PM PST by VeniVidiVici (¡El proletariado del mundo, une! - Xuygo Chavez)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Watcher

So, Watcher,

What are you putting across the wires that you are so concerned about the government seeing? Are you sending msg's to ragheads plotting against US Marines? Are you sending and/or receiving child porn?

Do you want your hometown to be safe? Or are you more invested in making things difficult so the muzzi's can sneak in and bomb the crap out of us?


51 posted on 02/12/2007 10:16:45 PM PST by Rembrandt (We would have won Viet Nam w/o Dim interference.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Watcher

>>Again, the issue is not that it's not real. The issue is that hardly anyone knows yet, what they'll be required to do. <<

Well, then, it's popcorn time! This'll be fun!


52 posted on 02/12/2007 10:16:53 PM PST by RobRoy (Islam is a greater threat to the world today than Nazism was in 1938.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: The Watcher

You would think you would be good at that given your screen name "The Watcher".

You could have used the screen name "The Listener" too.

Sorry, had too. :-)
Good luck.


53 posted on 02/12/2007 10:19:39 PM PST by JSteff
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: chuckles

Yep, Echelon is what you're referring to, FWIW.


54 posted on 02/12/2007 10:20:19 PM PST by AntiGuv ("..I do things for political expediency.." - Sen. John McCain on FOX News)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: The Watcher

OK, thanks for the clarification. BTW, I can understand why you're upset; I just wanted to be clear on what the issue is since I was fairly certain that it wasn't what I interpreted initially (records keeping).


55 posted on 02/12/2007 10:21:42 PM PST by AntiGuv ("..I do things for political expediency.." - Sen. John McCain on FOX News)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: youngjim
I'm watching you... so is my secret agency... me and Max Smart... paranoia.....paranoia... paranoia!!!
56 posted on 02/12/2007 10:30:17 PM PST by Porterville (Rudy For President 2008!!! Go Rudy.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: The Watcher

....and we are ALL going to be members of the bureaucracy doing the surveillance....cause, we're going to need every da*n one of us to do this! /sarcasm


57 posted on 02/12/2007 10:30:34 PM PST by goodnesswins (We need to cure Academentia)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Watcher

Oh please. Unless you run a big telecom you don't need to worry about CALEA compliance.


58 posted on 02/12/2007 10:33:59 PM PST by BJClinton (articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Watcher
The VOIP providers did NOT ignore E911.

Yes, they did. Someone that I know very well actually runs an E911-provider service for VOIP providers, and his clients openly admit that they only buy service for some of their phones (we are talking guys with 50K lines and more).

The FCC has not clamped down, and has not had any enforcement. Don't believe me? Go look online at the FCC database of enforcement actions... there are hardly any.

Further, unless you are a pretty big company, you are NOT big enough. Read Cornell's explanation / take on definitions of "facilities based providers" and common carriers here: click here

59 posted on 02/12/2007 10:39:44 PM PST by ikka
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: RobRoy
I use my neighbors WI-fi and there are free Wi-fi coffee shops all over this area. It is no problem to be completely anonymous unless "they" actually get their hands physically on your computer.

LOL!

60 posted on 02/12/2007 10:40:49 PM PST by Gondring (I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 49 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-138 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson