FCC Rule on VoIP Wiretaps Challenged in DC Circuit

A coalition of nonprofits and companies, including the American Library Association, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Sun Microsystems, has filed suit in the U. S. Court of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit challenging the FCC’s recent rule regarding wiretaps of Internet phone calls. The American Council on Education is also filing a lawsuit. The new rule would require companies and educational institutions to spend substantial amounts of money to upgrade their networks to comply. In addition, the plaintiffs say that other measures short of such upgrades would allow them to cooperate with law enforcement officials in obtaining information needed in the war against terrorism, the need often cited for these wiretaps.