[IP] One Internet provider's view of FBI's CALEA wiretap push

[Dave Howe]

Eugen Leitl wrote:
> On Thu, Apr 22, 2004 at 01:13:48AM +0100, Dave Howe wrote:
>> No, it is a terrible situation.
>> It establishes a legal requirement that communications *not* be
>> private from the feds. from there, it is just a small step to
>> defining encryption as a deliberate attempt to circumvent that law,
>> and so a crime in itself.
> Are you truly expecting a worldwide ban on encryption?
No.  Just one on using crypto in america to avoid the feds listening in -
currently this is legal, but adds an additional penalty if you are
convicted of something *and* the feds decide you used crypto as well.

> How do you
> prove somebody is using encryption on a steganographic channel?
obviously you don't - but I doubt you could conveniently find a
steganographic channel convincing enough to pass muster and yet fast
enough to handle VoIP traffic.  Besides, it could easily devolve into a
your-word-against-theirs argument, after you have already spent some time
in jail waiting to get to trial (or at least the threat of this).
Martha already found out how the FBI can bend the rules if they want to
make an example of you.