U.S. Wiretapping Laws To Be Overhauled

Valerie E. Caproni, the F.B.I.’s general counsel, has said the government is trying to prevent its existing surveillance power from eroding. Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times

Officials Push To Bolster Law on Wiretapping -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — Law enforcement and counterterrorism officials, citing lapses in compliance with surveillance orders, are pushing to overhaul a federal law that requires phone and broadband carriers to ensure that their networks can be wiretapped, federal officials say.

The officials say tougher legislation is needed because some telecommunications companies in recent years have begun new services and made system upgrades that caused technical problems for surveillance. They want to increase legal incentives and penalties aimed at pushing carriers like Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast to ensure that any network changes will not disrupt their ability to conduct wiretaps.

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Update: US wants to ease telecom wiretapping: report -- Economic Times

My Comment: I know I have beating this dead horse more than once .... but if these changes were proposed by the previous Bush administration, the press and civil liberties organizations will be foaming at their mouths. Different administration .... different result.

As to what is my take, these laws were always meant to be changed as changes in telecommunications take hold. The web was just a concept used by a few people 15 years ago .... today, it is the main instrument that terror groups communicate with each other. In turn, our laws must change to conform to these new threats.