Push For FBI Internet ‘Wiretap’ Law Faces Tough Criticism From Civil Liberties Groups
By Agence France-Presse
Sunday, June 2, 2013 7:24 EDT
The FBI is stepping up its effort to get broader authority to put wiretaps on the Internet to catch criminals and terrorists.
But the move is drawing fire from civil liberties groups, technology firms and others who claim the effort could be counterproductive, by harming online security and imposing hefty costs on makers of hardware and software.
US law enforcement has for years complained about the problem of going dark, or being unable to monitor Internet communications in the same manner as wiretaps, for which officials get a court order to tap into a local phone company.
President Barack Obama said in a May 23 speech his administration is reviewing the authorities of law enforcement, so we can intercept new types of communication.
FBI general counsel Andrew Weissmann told a recent Washington forum it would be a top priority this year to get expanded authority to tap communications such as Gmail, Google voice (and) Dropbox.
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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/02/push-for-fbi-internet-wiretap-law-faces-tough-criticism-from-civil-liberties-groups/