Feds Want A Wiretap Backdoor In All Net Hardware and Software

January 30, 2006

Thinks 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.

Posted by Preston Gralla

"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."

Words can't adequately convey how despicable this new rule would be! Even those who aren't libertarians should have no trouble opposing this lame idea.

As an aside: Those of us who salted away some older hardware and software find no reason to regret having done so.

As a future network administrator, the first thing I would do on buying any suspicious hardware is ask google if it was backdoored. And if so, disable the backdoor. If government wants to probe into my stuff, they will have to do so with more traditional swat-team-at-the-door approaches.

goldenpi, you can ask anything you want of any company/corporation

and you can also believe anything you want of the answers

"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."

My money's on the hackers getting there first. Wait a minute won't the FBI's hardware have backdoors too? Hmmmm.

I guess it takes the dogma of "If you aren't doing anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about" that people keep barking to a higher level of complete dogshit. (Hey, puns! ^_^)

looks like brenthannah hit the nail squarly on the head...and you know what that means?...that the feds will do anything and i mean ANYTHING if someone such as...hmmm...lets say the RIAA pays them off to do so...even endagering their own networks and computers

they may wiretap hardware, but how the hell they think they would force software vendors to include such bugs?
after all, there's lots of software around the world, including Open Source software, which can be modified by anyone. If the code is well commented, there's completely no problem with disabling any feature you want and recompile it, et voila.
Furthermore, here in Europe we have NO such stupid laws. And we make LOTS of software WITHOUT any wiretaps or backdoors, which Americans are invited to download.
Already started laughing at the Federal Government stupidity?
Folks, you should REALLY change your political regime. It IS possible, just believe and ... do it. (abolish bipartisanship in favor of multipartisan (3 and more parties) democracy at the first turn and include term limits in Congress at the second... I leave the next ones to your consideration ... Live long and prosper

I agree, Critto . . . with one caveat. Europe isn't all good; UK has started the process of jailing first-time copyright infringers. (That hasn't happened here stateside yet; with heavy emphasis, of course, on the "YET".)

Yeah, I guess they want backdoors in software so that when I run a simulation program where Iran develops nukes, then they can come and get me.

Those folks that spout the line, "If you haven't done anything wrong..." are obviously the ones who have hidden the bodies well.

More of our governement breaking our law!

It's like puting a video camera into each US citizen living room!

So much for the amendement against abusive search and seizure!

Time to dismiss our governement!