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                Date: 2000-05-16
                 
                 
                Surveillance: EPIC gegen CALEA
                
                 
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      Das Elecronic Privacy Information Center wird gegen einen  
gesetzliche Ermächtigung Berufung einlegen, die das FBI in  
die Lage versetzen würde, das Design der gesamten  
nationalen Kommunikations/infrastruktur der USA   
entscheidend mit zu bestimmen, Mobiltelefonierer zu tracken  
und das Internet zu überwachen. Codename des Ganzen ist  
CALEA - in EU bekannt geworden als ENFOPOL. 
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This week, EPIC and other Internet privacy advocacy groups  
will ask a federal appeals court to block new rules that would  
enable the FBI to dictate the design of the nation's  
communication infrastructure.  The challenged rules would,  
among other capabilities, enable the Bureau to track the  
physical locations of cellular phone users and potentially  
monitor Internet traffic.  
 
In an oral argument to be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals  
for the District of Columbia Circuit on May 17, EPIC, the  
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Electronic  
Frontier Foundation (EFF) will argue that the rules --  
contained in a Federal Communications Commission (FCC)  
decision issued last August -- could result in a significant  
increase in government interception of digital  
communications.  Also arguing against the proposed  
technical standards will be another group of challengers,  
comprised of telecommunications industry trade associations  
and the Center for Democracy and Technology.  
 
The court challenge involves the Communications Assistance  
for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), a controversial law  
enacted by Congress in 1994, which requires the  
telecommunications industry to design its systems in  
compliance with FBI technical requirements to facilitate  
electronic surveillance.  In negotiations over the last few  
years, the FBI and industry representatives were unable to  
agree upon those standards, resulting in last year's FCC  
ruling.  EPIC, ACLU and EFF participated as parties in the  
FCC proceeding and argued that the privacy rights of  
Americans must be protected.  
 
The groups' court briefs asserted that the FCC ruling exceeds  
the requirements of CALEA and frustrates the privacy  
interests protected by federal statutes and the Fourth  
Amendment.  Among other things, the Commission order  
would require telecommunications providers to determine the  
physical locations of cellular phone users and deliver "packet- 
mode communications" -- such as those that carry Internet  
traffic -- to law enforcement agencies.  
 
Proposed architectural changes to communications networks  
are also being considered this week in Paris, where a Group  
of Eight (G-8) conference is considering "cybercrime" issues.  
 The process, which began several years ago at the behest of  
the United States, may be moving toward concrete proposals  
that could impact online anonymity. During the G-8  
ministerial conference in Moscow last October, the countries  
committed their experts to organize a dialogue between  
industry and governments about "identifying and locating  
cybercriminals." During the scheduled Okinawa summit in  
July, the results of the discussion will be considered by the  
Heads of State of the G-8.  
 
Background materials on CALEA, including the briefs filed by  
EPIC, ACLU and EFF, are available at EPIC's website:  
 
http://www.epic.org/privacy/wiretap/  
 
Information on the G-8 conference is available at:  
 
http://www.g8parishightech.org/en_txt/index.htm  
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edited by Harkank 
published on: 2000-05-16 
comments to office@quintessenz.at
                   
                  
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