US universities have launched a legal challenge against
new wiretapping rules that would force them to upgrade their
networks to enable e-mail and internet surveillance by the
FBI.
The American Council on Education, the co-ordinating body for US
higher education institutions, filed its appeal challenging Federal
Communications Commission regulations that extend the 1994
Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act – originally
aimed at telephone companies – to internet service providers,
including universities.
The new rules would require internet service provides to upgrade
their network switches and routers by June 2007 to allow remote
monitoring – an upgrade the ACE estimates would cost colleges and
universities $7bn (£4bn).
Sheldon Steinbach, ACE vice-president and general counsel, said,
“In filing a suit, we hope to convince the FCC that colleges and
universities can provide the same access through alternative
approaches without the need to incur the $7bn expense of revamping
our computer network systems.”
A second legal challenge is set to involve voice over IP firm
Pulver.com, trade group CompTel and electronic privacy campaign
groups.
Jonathan Askin, general counsel to Pulver.com, said the company
was not directly hit by the regulations because it currently offers
only peer-to-peer conversations rather than links to the
traditional telephone network.
But he warned, “From a forward-looking policy perspective, I
think the FCC has opened the door to regulating the entire
internet.”