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Think the federal government is too intrusive? You ain't seen nothing
yet. An FCC mandate will require that all hardware and software have a wiretap
backdoor that allows the government to tap into all your communications.
The mandate expands the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA),
and requires that every piece of hardware and software sold include the backdoor.
The rule isn't yet final, but once it is, all vendors will have 18 months to
comply. And in fact, says Brad Templeton, chairman of the Electronic Frontier
Foundation (EFF), some router makers already include such a backdoor. So your
hardware may be vulnerable.
There are several problems with this rule. First is the obvious massive intrusion
into all of our privacy. Second, says Templeton, is the way that the rule will
stifle innovation. According
to the Washington Post, he claims that the rule will "require that
people get permission to innovate" would create "regulatory barriers
to entry." He adds "The FBI gets veto on new companies."
The final problem is that if all hardware and software has a backdoor, it's
an open invitation to hackers. So we may be faced with a double-whammy: The
feds and hackers working their way into our systems.
The EFF, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the COMPTEL association
of communications service providers, and the American Civil Liberties Union
filed a brief last week with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit to try and stop the FCC. Here's hoping they win.
