--- begin forwarded text Subject: Wireless Week: CALEA Action Moves Backstage 8/18/97 http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/two818.shtml Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii; name="two818.shtml" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline; filename="two818.shtml" Content-Base: "http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97 /two818.shtml" <http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/cgi-win/redirect.exe?http://www.biaco... nies.com/>
From the August 18, 1997 issue of Wireless Week
CALEA Action Moves Backstage By Edward Warner WASHINGTON--The Department of Justice called off an industry-FBI meeting on the 1994 digital wiretap law. However, sources say the parties involved are trying to resolve their conflicts and will meet later this month. Last week's meeting was to involve CEOs of wireless carriers, their trade groups and both Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Director Louis Freeh. Sources said the industry asked DOJ to postpone the meeting. One source said backstage discussions are now under way between the two sides and may produce a proposed solution if adequate time is allowed. Another carrier source said that due to summer holidays, too few CEOs from wireless carriers were expected to attend. The executives, many of whom have little hands-on experience with the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act, couldn't be brought up to speed with such short notice. The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association earlier this month asked the FCC to resolve the dispute because all carriers must comply with the law by October 1998, and no standard is available. Reacting to the FCC's request, Daniel Phythyon, head of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, said there's "already an intricate process" under way between the two sides. He could not say whether the FCC would respond to CTIA's request. The request was seconded last week in a joint petition filed by the two civil liberties groups that focus on technology issues. Those groups, the Center for Democracy and Technology and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said jointly that the FBI is trying to acquire extra legal wiretap powers. Congress asked the industry to determine what new network functions carriers must offer to comply with CALEA. However, the FBI is fighting the proposed industry-supported functions. In the petition, the EFF and the CDT said that much of what the FBI wants is impermissible. For instance, the FBI previously requested that it be able to track mobile phones, even when they're not being used. This, the two groups said in a statement, "would effectively turn the cellular network into a nationwide, real-time location tracking system." CALEA compliance also is costly and makes the carriers susceptible to invasion of privacy lawsuits, CTIA President and CEO Tom Wheeler said. Wheeler, who was out of the country last week, has been a key force pressing for the meeting. | <http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/whoweare.htm>Who We Are | <http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/search.shtml>Search Archive | <http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/library.shtml>Hot Story Library | <http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/ "/websites.htm">Wireless Web Sites | <http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/calendar.htm>Calendar | <http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/subscrip.htm>Subscription Information | <http://www.trans-action.com/>Classified Ads | <http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/advertis.htm>Advertising Info | <http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/index.htm>Return to Wireless Week <http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/Aug97/index.htm>Home Page Please send comments and suggestions on this Website to <mailto:jcollins@chilton.net>jcollins@chilton.net Wireless Week, 600 S. Cherry St., #400, Denver, CO 80222 Voice: 303-393-7449, Fax: 303-399-2034 Published by <http://www.chilton.net/>Chilton, An ABC Owned Company © Copyright 1997. All rights reserved. --- end forwarded text ----------------- Robert Hettinga (rah@shipwright.com), Philodox e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/