WASHINGTON (AP) — Broad new regulations being drafted by the Obama administration would make it easier for law enforcement and national security officials to eavesdrop on Internet and e-mail communications like social networking Web sites and BlackBerries, The New York Times reported Monday.
The newspaper said the White House plans to submit a bill next year that would require all online services that enable communications to be technically equipped to comply with a wiretap order. That would include providers of encrypted e-mail, such as BlackBerry, networking sites like Facebook and direct communication services like Skype.
Federal law enforcement and national security officials say new the regulations are needed because terrorists and criminals are increasingly giving up their phones to communicate online.
“We’re talking about lawfully authorized intercepts,” said FBI lawyer Valerie E. Caproni. “We’re not talking about expanding authority. We’re talking about preserving our ability to execute our existing authority in order to protect the public safety and national security.”
The White House plans to submit the proposed legislation to Congress next year.
The new regulations would raise new questions about protecting people’s privacy while balancing national security concerns.
James Dempsey, the vice president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, an Internet policy group, said the new regulations would have “huge implications.”
“They basically want to turn back the clock and make Internet services function the way that the telephone system used to function,” he told the Times.
The Times said the Obama proposal would likely include several requires:
—Any service that provides encrypted messages must be capable of unscrambling them.
—Any foreign communications providers that do business in the U.S. would have to have an office in the United States that’s capable of providing intercepts.
—Softward developers of peer-to-peer communications services would be required to redesign their products to allow interception.
The Times said that some privacy and technology advocates say the regulations would create weaknesses in the technology that hackers could more easily exploit.
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (80)
RableRouser
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 10:05amI hate to tell you, this has been going on for awhile now.This is only the peice of paper that makes it all “offical policy”.ON NOVEMBER 2, PUT A STOP TO THIS WANNA BE DICTATOR!!!
Report Post »DRAIN_THE_CESSPOOL
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 10:00amThis is all just another excuse to control Americans and another step towards socialism. This isn’t going to stop terrorists from communicating. They’ll just use another means of encrypting their communications or use a different code. In fact, they’ll probably just come across our border instead of using email to communicate. It’s much easier for them. lol
Report Post »Moonage Daydreamer
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:57amIt creeps and crawls and slithers its way into every nook and cranny of our lives.
This administration is worse than an infestation of Bed Bugs!!
This administration will irritate the bejeebers out of you.
Unless things change for us at the polls in less than 5 weeks and again in 2 years, I believe we are truly sunk, there will be no way back.
I am seriously thinking of moving to Cuba!! Now THERE is a shot at living the american dream, entrepreneurs will do well to get over there NOW and start a business, seriously folks, think about it, Castro said Communism DOES NOT WORK!!
Neither will statism or fascism…
Vote the bums OUT!!!
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:46amMore loss of privacy as a result of 911. So many here can’t see the handqwriting on the wall about 911 truths and why the dark side of the govt was involved. Has been the greatest event ever in allowing the Global PTB to destory the Bill of Rights.
Report Post »CandleLighter
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:41amOkay……. I’m a little confused….. again. Seems like I stay that why these days. I have a few questions about this that I hope some of the more intelligent on here can answer for the unlit CandleLighter this morning.
1) Is this not MORE invasive than what Pres. Bush did with the Patriot Act? Wasn’t that baaaad acording to the people that are in power now? Whaaaaa?
2) Are those of us that have been somewhat paranoid about things like this coming to pass STILL “Conspiracy Nuts” since it seems to be, I don‘t know’ HAPPENING??!?
3) When is it that we get to say….”We told you so.”?
Be safe and well
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:52amAfraid there are all to many Bush worshipers here. Same as the OBAMA worshipers but IMO much more dangerous as they are wolf clothing Constitutionalists.
Report Post »Greg the Great
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:31amNo more rights in ObamAmerica!
Report Post »Stupid Windmill
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:27amTEA BAGGERS!
Dawn your Tin Foil Hats!
Keith Fowler
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:27amI’m not surprised, not by this administration. I suggest everyone start using TrueCrypt! I’ve been using it for years and let me tell you the “Plausible Deniability” feature is the main reason for this encrytion tool. Better get it why you still can.
Report Post »FreedomOfSpeech
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:24amThey’re already doing intercepts. If you don’t believe that, your nuts. They’re just looking to legalize them.
Report Post »big12texag
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:24amI’m sure the ACLU will be all over this…oh I forgot a liberal made this law…it’s ok then…
Report Post »FieryRed
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:21amout=our
Report Post »FieryRed
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:20amHow much do you want to bet they are already monitoring out posts on Blaze? Because the majority of us are against this administrations policies…….I’m sure we are on some list.
Report Post »QweeQwa
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:42amYep. Ive noticed that I am being followed as of late. Have you?
Report Post »FieryRed
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 10:15amLighten up Qwweeqwa (whatever that means). I was being facetious.I hope that word isn’t too big for you.
Report Post »QweeQwa
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 10:30amI am serious.
Report Post »NoName22
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 12:40pmCan’t assasinate Beck, cause then that would expose them. That’s why propaganda is much more effective, because the lot of us believe in the left/right grouping, and it’s the perfect distraction for those who seek power.
Report Post »nevadapat
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:15amIs anyone really surprised by this? The man is a menace to Life, Liberty and the American way, God help us………..
Report Post »Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:49amBush started it all. Cheney is a TRAITOR as he controlled Bush in many ways.
Report Post »iheartgeorgewashington
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:12amI was wrong under the Patriot Act, and it is wrong now. The Obama Administration met behind closed doors to hammer out the Health Care Bill and wouldn’t tell us what was in it before it passed…but they want the freedom to listen to my cell phone conversations read my private emails?
Report Post »broker0101
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:10amHow many times will the phrase, “Warrantless Wiretapping” appear in the MSM? My bet is Zero, unless it is to describe what the evil Georg W Bush has done in the past.
Report Post »Marylou7
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:05amNow we can’t even talk among ourselves. This is just a bunch of hogwash, an excuse to monitor this administration’s opponents. Every thing is esculating really fast. November can’t get here fast enough but then how do we get rid of all the czars?? There is a lot of work ahead in order to save this great nation of ours.
Report Post »tepartyblog.info
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:02amThe thing that bothers me about this is that real criminals aren’t going to be affected by this. It is just like banning all guns to prevent crime. Then only the criminals have guns and in this case the criminals will find way to communicate privately. I guess they might catch a few stupid criminals but the ones that have a real profit to be made are just going to invest in better communications security.
Report Post »jcatlanta
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:55amTrue. Remember the report that law enforcement was to consider tea party members terrorists. Who do you think the Obozo admin will go after a muslim or a tea party member?
Report Post »TerriLPN
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:00amWell Here We Go Again…More of the Patriot Act.. Where is Our Freedom of Privacy???? God Please Wake Up Somebody to Stop This Mess??? We Want Our FREEDOMS!!!! Our Rights To Life, LIBERTY and Pursuit of Happiness! WAKE AMERICA…..Even Castro Says Communism isnt a good thing!!
Report Post »patriot4ever
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 8:57amGet your HAM radios ready folks…here comes the invasion into your home.
Report Post »tepartyblog.info
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 8:56amEvery one should look into getting PGP .http://www.pgp.com/. Not for nefarious uses but to prevent unlawful taping. Encrypt everything and it makes it incredibly expensive to even bother decrypting, so they will only bother with high profile targets. It isn’t a mater of having something to hide but a matter of preserving rights.
Report Post »t00nces2
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:05amI was thinking the same thing. There is also a open source encryption tool called TrueCrypt that recently frustrated a government sponsored, brute force attack to crack it.
Better get it now before someone reconfigures it!
Report Post »jcatlanta
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:52amGood point. Overwelm the system with trillions of emails that are encrypted. But your point is correct. If you ARE a high value target, then you will be hacked.
Report Post »poverty.sucks
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 8:54amIn the name of national security much needed concept, who will hold those with clearance accountable?
Report Post »Will NV
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 8:51amWhat if Bush did this?
Report Post »Stop the treason Nov 2.
Contrarianthinker
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:47amBush and Company allowed 911 to happen. I can’t beleive some here still think Bush was a Constitutionalist. God help America.
Report Post »NoName22
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 12:13pmAmen. Bush and Obama just are the front for us to argue about conservative/republican liberal/democrat differences.
Fact is, the Patriot Act was just a preamble to this new law, and the powers at be behind the scenes are fulfilling their agenda.
Radical Islamic terrorists attack the U.S., so right to privacy and free speech are diminished through the Patriot Act……subsequently further diminished through this new law because of the threat of “domestic terrorism” and future attacks, that Obama says “we can absorb” anyway.
Lieberman proposed the law that if you are a SUSPECTED terrorist, you lose your Miranda rights as a U.S. citizen. That’s the solution? Take away our rights…..
Socialism, The Fed, and radical Islam all go hand in hand. There are those who do not make war against non-believers with weapons, but words…..They are the ones fighting the good fight.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 8:51amout of all the nonsense today, this has to be MORE crud about that coward obama being so fearful of patriotic AMERICANS.
wait, doesn’t obama already have his ”PERFECT CITIZEN” spy program in place AGAINST US TRUE AMERICANS?!
Report Post »QweeQwa
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:40amno.
Report Post »wingedwolf
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 8:51amI was upset about the Patriot act and I am a conservative. It’s not like you can trust the government to limit themselves as strictly as they said they will, & thousands of innocents were caught up in those fracas’s. But this president has gone where no US prez has gone before and he intends to go waaaayyy further.
Report Post »wingedwolf
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:49amBlaze People, BQI has another great video on his blog! http://www.blackquillandink.com See the Mr. Jefferson video!!
Report Post »flamingliberal
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 3:58pmI agree that the government should NEVER be allowed to access private communications of ANY sort, PERIOD. However it is naive to think that Obama is WAY worse that any other POTUS. The POTUS does not control this aspect of government, the military and intelligence community does, and if you think for a minute they would give away their trump card on the civilians, you are mistaken.
Report Post »The only true freedom to communicate privately lies with encryption, programs like PGP ,with access to source code to ensure no back-doors exist, are the only way to ensure what is private stays so.
dwh320
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 8:47amAny surprise that Obama and the Progressive Socialist are wanting to monitor EVERY American?
And they were all upset about the Patriot Act… look how they have gone far past it to control and create their Socialist police state.
Report Post »Indomitus
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:35amAt least the Patriot Act was in fact legislation, passed by our representatives. Bad enough, to be sure, but this is being done by mandate and regulation. We don’t get a say. Surveillance and censorship through executive order – I would call that fascism, plain and simple.
Add to that the other news story this morning, regarding the pentagon using tax payer money to buy and burn all copies of “Operation Dark Heart” that they could get their hands on, and we have a very grim picture indeed.
Report Post »carrera
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:42amDWH320=And let us not forget last month’s ruling that states our Federal Government is now able to enter our driveways, on private property, and place a GPS tracking system on our vehicles without a court order. We now have warrantless GPS tracking. Welcome to the Obama Nation.
Report Post »Skwerl E. Muckenfutch
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 9:45amThis is why I went ballistic over the Patriot Act. That type of legislation is the epitome of the slippery slope.
Report Post »Muslim in Chief
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 10:00amO’Baggers are amazing. When Bush had the Patriot act, everyone pictured Bush and Cheney in the Oval office with earphones, listening to them to talk to Grandma. Now that it is Dear leader doing this, the OBOTS are curiously silent……Liberals are such hypocrites
Liberalism isa mental disorder
Report Post »carrera
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 10:16amindomitus- German Poet Heinrich Heine once wrote that “Where ever books are burned, human beings are destined to be burned too.“ We have the Holy Bibles that our Government elected to burn in May of 2009 and now our Government has elected to burn all copies of ”Operation Dark Heart” If you know your History and you can predict your future.
Report Post »Firefight
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 10:38amActually, Obama’s administration LIFTED all the sunsets on the Patriot Act so now it will never have to be reviewed & reapproved- it’s permanent. So while the people who are FOOLED by the dems hate the patriot act the progressives want to expand on it.
Report Post »JD Carp
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 11:04amWait, wait, wait. What happened to all the chest beating and gnashing of teeth over the Patriot Act? This is a complete insult to the Constitution and the fourth amendment. When will they stop us in the streets and ask for our “papers?”
Report Post »5000YRLEAPER
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 3:34pmIf this was durring the Bush Administration, we would not hear the end of this.
Report Post »flamingliberal
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 3:45pmAnd if Obama and the DEMs blocked this type action, you would accuse him & them of treason and not protecting America.
With the exception of RIM, encrypted services, or secure satellite communications, you can already be EASILY tracked on the internet with existing tools.
Report Post »For example, on this page, I could track any user who has accessed content(read or write) or posted a reply. Using existing tools, I could then track that user to his physical location anywhere in the US.
IF you happen to be on a DSL or other similar technology (FIBER, Leased Line T-1 etc), actually getting your home location is simple using existing web sites or tools(If you used a mobile phone, a GPS tag could locate you to within 3 meters). Cable is a bit trickier due to the ‘shared’ aspect of the connection, but not much more difficult.
I suspect that the Obama administration (As well as Bush) have already been monitoring internet traffic all along, and they just want to clean up some of the ‘legal’ issues it would cause should they need to prosecute someone in the US.
Do you really think that it is a coincidence that less than a week after news outlets are reporting that homegrown terrorists now pose as great or greater threat to US security, that they move to close that legal loose end?
In any case, anyone who EVER thought they were anonymous or untraceable on the internet is a dope…
BlueStrat
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 3:59pmThis proposed policy is unworkable on the face of it to anyone who has a clue how computers and the internet function. They know this. They aren’t that stupid, they pay people to be smart FOR them.
I believe this is one step along a planned path to the real goal.
1. Try to enact legislation that allows old telco wiretap rules to apply to the internet and digital communications. Allow furor, confusion, and frustration to build.
2. After an appropriate amount of time to allow the furor created to cause things to grind down to a near-halt while frustration builds, save the day by re-introducing something that’s been dormant in the wings for some time. Trusted Computing.
3. Mandate universal use of Trusted Computing and assume control of all digital data, software, and communications.
4. PROFIT!!!
(I really did try to come up with a step that included “???” but I failed. And it scared me.)
Link to explanations on how Trusted Computing impacts freedom & privacy: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/tcpa-faq.html
This is some SERIOUSLY scary police-state stuff, people!
Strat
Report Post »5000YRLEAPER
Posted on September 27, 2010 at 4:33pmNudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge Nudge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, Cass Sunstein, in action!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »AmericanDogMan
Posted on September 29, 2010 at 10:59amThe GOP must be careful this is a setup. The reason young people hated George Bush so much was because he was percieved as spying on us. Obama knows he’s not going to get reelected but if the GOP is seen as Fascist again, it will take losses. He’s bringing the bill up next year. Liberal Republicans must be fought at all cost.
The RINOS must be taken out a conservative/libertarian message will wake the 18-24 year olds and keep them away from the communist.
This has to be fought, as it is the feds have access just not instant and covert… That’s a good thing.
Report Post »