Wow, two bits of bad news in a day. The FCC has issued a ruling requiring broadband Internet providers and interconnected VoIP providers to provide backdoors into their networks to allow law enforcement agencies to tap conversations at will.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a “First Report and Order” confirming its expansion of the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) to the Internet. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is planning to challenge the rule in court.

The new rule forces Internet broadband providers and “interconnected” Voice-over-IP (VoIP) providers to build backdoors into their networks to make it easier for law enforcement to listen in on private communications. EFF has argued against this expansion of CALEA in several rounds of comments to the FCC.

“A tech mandate requiring backdoors in the Internet endangers the privacy of innocent people, stifles innovation, and risks the Internet as a forum for free and open expression,” said Kurt Opsahl, EFF staff attorney.

CALEA, a law passed in the early 1990s, required that all telephone providers build surveillance backdoors into their networks. Due to pressure from EFF and other privacy groups, Congress expressly exempted information services like broadband. But the new details released on September 23rd show that the FCC has decided to ignore Congress’s decision to protect the Internet, instead forcing all “facilities-based” providers of any type of broadband Internet access service, as well as interconnected VoIP services, to make their networks wiretap-ready. According to the FCC, all VoIP communications on a given service must be wiretap-ready if the VoIP service offers the capability for users to connect calls with the public switched telephone network (PSTN), even those communications that do not involve the PSTN.

Practically, what this means is that the government will be asking broadband providers — as well as companies that manufacture devices used for broadband communications — to create new backdoors for surveillance, imperiling the privacy and security of citizens on the Internet. It also hobbles technical innovation by forcing companies involved in broadband to redesign their products to meet government requirements. — Electronic Frontier Foundation

I couldn’t have said it better myself. I covered this story about two months ago, as well.