The FBI proposes that they be allowed to wiretap Xbox Live communications...
Today it was learned that the FBI has made a proposal to the FCC that would require all Internet Providers to rewire their current system in order to make wiretapping accessible to the FBI. Experts claim that if the new proposal were to pass, MSN Messenger, Xbox Live and any voice over Internet protocol would be accessible for wiretapping.
The 85-page document that was submitted to the FCC would require all companies to build a "back door" for the FBI to monitor chatting. New services that did not offer a "back door" would become illegal and old services, such as Xbox Live, would have 15 months to comply.
"The importance and the urgency of this task cannot be overstated," says the proposal, which is also backed by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration. "The ability of federal, state and local law enforcement to carry out critical electronic surveillance is being compromised today."
The situation is said to be taken seriously by the FCC. Last month, FCC Chairman Michael Powell stressed that "law enforcement access to IP-enabled communications is essential" and that police must have "access to communications infrastructure they need to protect our nation."