Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 13:22:54 -0500 From: "The American Civil Liberties Union" To: "The American Civil Liberties Union" Subject: oppose DoJ's Internet wiretapping scheme Thank you for using The American Civil Liberties Union Mail System Message sent to the following recipients: Senator Kennedy Senator Kerry Representative Capuano FCC Chairman Powell Message text follows: Matthew Belmonte [address] March 18, 2004 [recipient address was inserted here] [recipient name was inserted here], As a concerned individual, I am writing to express my opposition to the Department of Justice's request that all new Internet communication services be required to have built-in wiretapping access. This requirement is unnecessary. Longstanding laws already require Internet service providers and Internet telephone companies to allow authorised surveillance. The FBI is going far beyond these existing powers by trying to force the industry to actually build its systems around government eavesdropping. This proposal is analogous to requiring that all new houses be built with a peephole for law enforcement to look through. This proposal constitutes an end-run around Congress. Legislators, after extensive deliberations, defined bounds on the ways in which the FBI can collect information from data feeds. The FBI's aggressive and expansive reading of the law would bypass the legislative process to alter that careful balance. By requiring a master key to our personal communications, the government is creating the very real potential for hackers and thieves -- or even rogue government agents -- to access our personal communications. Once again, I urge you to oppose the dangerous suggestion of the Department of Justice that our new Internet communication technologies should have built-in wiretapping. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter. Sincerely, Matthew Belmonte