ALERT: FBI's Wiretap Bill is Back!

[Stanton McCandlish]

Digital Telephony Threat Returns

According to FBI Dir. Louis Freeh, the development of sophisticated digital
telecom and networking technology threatens the ability of the Feds to
wiretap.  In a Dec. 8 speech at Washington's National Press Club, Freeh
annouced a renewal of the FBI's 'Digital Telephony' legislation scheme:
the return of the controverial 'Wiretap Bill'.  The bill is strongly
opposed by organizations and individuals concerned about privacy, as well
as the telecommunications and computing industries at large.  The FBI's
'need' for this legislative action is under review by the Administration
as part of it's examination of security and encryption issues.

The reappearance of this Bureau effort contradicts statements by Special
Agent Barry Smith of the FBI's Congressional Affairs Office, who stated
less than a month ago that the 'Wiretap Bill' had been tabled.

According to classified documents released under the Freedom of  
Information Act (FOIA), the FBI and the Electronic Communications Service
Provider Committee or ECSPC (an ad hoc industry working group, which
formed in March), are attempting to decide if technical solutions can
be found to satisify law enforcement. According to a Nynex representative
co-chairing the group, Kenneth Raymond, no solution has yet been found, but
that FBI has yet to prove any solution is needed at all.  Raymond likened
Freeh's tactics to "yelling out the window" - an attention-getting move
that needs some sort of clarifying followup.

Though the ECSPC claims to be attempting to evaluate the problem and to
solve it "in some reasonable way that is consistent with cost and demand",
Raymond indicated that the group considers one 'solution' to be building
wiretap access into future telecom hardware - like the  Clipper chip
backdoor, but a 'feature' of all switch specifications for phone and data
lines.

This news was just received, and a more detailed analysis and statement
from EFF will follow soon.

-- 
Stanton  McCandlish  mech at eff.org  1:109/1103   EFF  Online  Activist & SysOp
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