] Yesterday the FBI made public its new proposal for
] wiretapping powers that would powerfully extend such
] powers to broadband services such as DSL and cable-based
] access. The gist of the proposal is simple: the FBI wants
] to be able to to easily set up wiretapping on all kinds
] of Internet traffic, the key word here being easily. As
] this report notes, this could mean that to be compliant
] with the rules (should they pass), both ISPs and
] developers would need to build back-doors into their
] services and the technologies that run on top of them.

The compromise that allowed CALEA to pass is very clear. Telecommunications OK, Internet not OK. That fact that voice services are now carried on internet networks does not change the fundamental legislative compromise. Expanding the scope of this thing is well outside the FCC's jurisdiction. Only Congress has the power to do this.

Of course, in the wake of 9/11, I think that protecting the internet from being turned into a ubiquitous surveillance network will be almost impossible.