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Civil-liberties groups say the FCC’s plans may pose a threat to your privacy and security.
Several privacy and civil-liberties organizations are mounting a legal challenge to prevent VoIP and other Internet-based communications from being subject to taps from law-enforcement agencies.

The group, which includes the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), the COMPTEL association of communications service providers, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says it will fight the FCC’s plan to expand the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) of 1994. It filed a brief this week with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The FCC’s final rule, issued on August 5, 2005, would extend CALEA to all Internet-based communications, according to EFF Chairman Brad Templeton, who spoke at this week’s Emerging Telephony Conference here, sponsored by O’Reilly Media. Once the FCC issues a final rule, vendors have 18 months to comply with it.

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