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Feds To Begin Eavedropping on Airline Internet Usage

By Jeralyn, Section Civil Liberties
Posted on Tue Jul 12, 2005 at 06:24:15 AM EST
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If you are a doctor, a lawyer or a therapist, don't even think about responding to client or patient e-mail while on an airlane:

Federal law enforcement officials, fearful that terrorists will exploit emerging in-flight broadband services to remotely activate bombs or coordinate hijackings, are asking regulators for the power to begin eavesdropping on any passenger's internet use within 10 minutes of obtaining court authorization.

In joint comments filed with the FCC last Tuesday, the Justice Department, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security warned that a terrorist could use on-board internet access to communicate with confederates on other planes, on the ground or in different sections of the same plane -- all from the comfort of an aisle seat.

How can they do that? Via CALEA:

The Justice Department hopes to do that with an FCC ruling that satellite-based in-flight broadband services are bound by the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, the federal law that required telephone companies to modify their networks to be wiretap-friendly for the FBI.

CALEA was originally passed to preserve the Bureau's ability to eavesdrop on telephone calls in the digital age. But last year the FBI and Justice Department persuaded the FCC to interpret the law so it would apply to internet traffic over cable modems and DSL lines. The FCC has already expressed the view that in-flight broadband would likely be covered as well.

[Via Huffington Post]

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    Feds To Begin Eavedropping on Airline Internet Usage | 1 comment (1 topical)
    Re: Feds To Begin Eavedropping on Airline Internet (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:01:08 PM EST
    In other news, the administration has noticed that just about anything can be used as a weapon, so for our safety, America will be put into straight-jackets. Here's Tom with the weather.

    Feds To Begin Eavedropping on Airline Internet Usage | 1 comment (1 topical)