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              | Date: 2000-05-16 
 
 Surveillance: EPIC gegen CALEA-.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.- -.-. --.-
 
 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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