VoIP Now: New Wiretap rules may create a split in the VoIP community

August 27, 2005

New Wiretap rules may create a split in the VoIP community

The wiretapping rules recently announced by the Federal Communications Commission may become a major concern for the VoIP providers in the near future. The US government is contemplating whether companies like Skype and Google should be subjected to such rules. The FCC has already asked the VoIP providers to accommodate law enforcement wiretaps, covered by the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). The commission limited the services offered by the broadband Internet access service providers and VoIP providers.

The wiretap rules exempt some features including Skype's main product and Google's Google Talk. However, law enforcement agencies like FBI and Drug Enforcement Agency are reportedly against such exemptions. CALEA guidelines may force Skype to redesign its architecture and force its subscribers to download new software. Many of the major VoIP vendors like Vonage have been forced to adhere to the government rulings such as E911. redherring.com reports:

The FCC could make the assertion today that Skype and GoogleTalk are both subject to CALEA, and the courts would not be able to overturn it, said Tom Nolle, president of CIMI, a Voorhees, New Jersey, technology assessment firm. It defeats the purpose of homeland security to exempt a form of public network communication from CALEA requirements.