Should wiretapping be allowed?

[NeonWizard]

I ask this question because of the article I just read:

The FBI wants to force Verizon Communications to make sure that its broadband-over-fiber service can be easily wiretapped by police and spy agencies.

In a letter sent to the Federal Communications Commission last month, the FBI said that Verizon's 30mbps (megabits per second) Fios service must be required to abide by a 1994 law that levied complex and expensive eavesdropping requirements on traditional phone companies. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Justice Department joined the request. Read Article.
And by the way, what does the Drug Enforcement Administration have to do with this?

This reminded me of a few other article early this year, in which there were going to make a law I guess that allows the cops to wiretapp all the Internet connections and VoIP, and also cellphone calls.

Should wiretapping at this level be allowed? I mean, they did wiretapping before, in many countries, but now, it's going to be easy for the feds to see instant messages, what you downloaded, calls over IP and even calls over your cellphone.

I personally think that this is going too far, and that there need to be a few limits on what exactly you can wiretap.It's like they type your name, and immediately have your whole Internet records. Here are a few articles, dating back to April about the wiretapping controversy.

The FBI's listening to your keystrokes

Feds seek limits on wiretap costs

Feds asked to hang up on the FBI's wiretap proposal

[fyrewall]

I think the appropriate authorities ie: police, fbi etc should be able to wire tap ... assuming they go about the correct way to do it ... and it is approved (obviously)

[The Duck]

Well, I don't think they are wiretapping everything to "monitor" the whole internet. I think only certain people they are suspecting of crime. If they are monitoring everyone on the internet (if this is possible) then I have a BIG problem with that.

[fyrewall]

yeah i agree there monitoring everyone is not cool .. but if it is just certain people suspected of whatever .. and they go through all the appropriate channels to get approval then i have no problem with it

[the_JinX]

But what about users using SSH etc..

Should ssh(2) be banned ??

I think not..

And what about freenet ( http://freenet.sourceforge.net/ ) ??

[Spyder32]

Concerning Wiretapping: I suppose it should be allowed for the "right reasons" but I say "right" because I don't know if police, etc will alway's use it in the way it should be (same way they sometimes abuse power, etc).

Concerning FreeNet: The_JinX, the Freedom Network Project sound's like a good idea and I actually like that introductory quote, kinda grabbed me:

"I worry about my child and the Internet all the time, even though she's too young to have logged on yet. Here's what I worry about. I worry that 10 or 15 years from now, she will come to me and say 'Daddy, where were you when they took freedom of the press away from the Internet?'"
--Mike Godwin, Electronic Frontier Foundation

Say's alot. I'm going to be following the freenet project, looks interesting.

[DODGERMP]

It seems the Government is just asking that a way to monitor it is included in the system. If there was no way to monitor or wiretap then that is a service I would pay for if I was conducting ciminal activities. It would be a way I could send out information and know that I could not be monitored while I did it.

[rcgreen]

Should they be able to open your snail mail too?
How about come in your house, just in case you might say something
disloyal in your sleep.

[cacosapo]

I believe that feds can ask for monitoring capabilities to be included o ISP.
However, they cant ask for an EASY way to tap lines. They cant to ISP to lower its defense just because they dont have money to tap fiber or whatever.

Just standardize monitoring capabilities at ISP hubs. What features, how to get data, etc..
Almost (or all) traffic passes thru those hubs.

but if they want to tap wires on street, they must spend some of fed' money to get the devices....

[tiDaLfAze23]

Seriously, if anybody here thinks that governments aren't covertly screening
all communications around the world, they need to think again.....

echelon is everywhere

And that's just what is publicly known.

What you don't know wont hurt you, unless you are up to no good.....