May 13, 2007 05:15 PM
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Tomorrow is the deadline for ISPs to have their networks wired up with G-Man-mandated surveillance equipment that will make it easier for the FBI to snoop, spy and wiretap the Intertubes, per the FCC's expanded 2002 interpretation of the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act. (Clearly an older law, since it does not make for a catchy acronym.)
The CALEA was originally written to make digital phone lines easier to wiretap. In the case of cellphones, where the tech has "100% penetration, it's credited with boosting the number of court-approved wiretaps a carrier can handle simultaneously, and greatly shortening the time it takes to get a wiretap going," according to Threat Level.
For the low, low price of $164, you can check out the official specs ISPs will use to route over pretty much any "information sent or received through a user's broadband connection, including on-line banking activity" should the FBI be granted a court order to see what's flowing through their (or your) Intertubes.
So, happy surfing tomorrow! And be sure to use emoticons! FBI agents are people too, and I bet a smiling face would really brighten their day.
Reminder: Monday is Wiretap the Internet Day [Threat Level]
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