Decius wrote:
] flynn23 wrote:
] ]
] ] There's definitely more to it. CALEA is just caught in the
] ] crossfire of the info services vs telecom services battle.
] ] This battle is being waged in the overall telecom
] competition
] ] battle, of which the consumer is losing a great deal right
] ] now. If things like data services and internet access are
] made
] ] to be telecom services, then all hell will break loose.
] ] Earthlink is just using CALEA as leverage. That seems overly
]
] ] desperate to me, but might be their only choice.
]
] What kind of hell? Is there a good place to follow this?

there is not a good place to follow this, at least none that I am aware of. The kind of hell I'm describing is creeping up on us anyways. Notice your cable, cell, and home telephone bills going up? Notice less choice of ISP? Notice customer service for any of these services sucks ass? Notice the US's pre-occupation with eliminating telecom competition in Iraq? It's only going to get worse.

If data services are labels as telecom services then things like the SDMCA laws, privacy concerns, frivilous litigation, monopoly control, internet taxes... all of that massively shifts to the 'dark side'. Because essentially what we are saying is that data services need to be REGULATED. Which means they will be taxed, and controlled by already established regulated bodies.

RE: The FBI's insidious CALEA strategy