While lawmakers fret over whether China is building surveillance "backdoors" into communications networks, the United States government wants more hard-wired access of its own.
For a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on Wednesday, FBI Director Robert Mueller submitted written testimony in which he renewed calls for American companies to make sure their systems can be easily monitored by law enforcement.
“Many communications providers are not required to build or maintain intercept capabilities in their ever-changing networks,” he wrote in the testimony. Mueller did not appear before the committee in person. “Because of this gap between technology and the law, law enforcement is increasingly unable to access the information it needs to protect public safety and the evidence it needs to bring criminals to justice.”
Law enforcement officials have called for things like social networks, e-mail systems, and online voice-communication services such as Skype to include prepared systems for police to use for surveillance.
“The increasingly mobile, complex, and varied nature of communication has created a growing challenge to our ability to conduct court-ordered electronic surveillance of criminals and terrorists,” Mueller said.
Such calls come at the same time that lawmakers are investigating whether Chinese telecommunications companies are working with the Chinese government to provide electronic backdoors for spying on American networks. Even if companies such as Huawei and ZTE aren’t actively working with spies, members of the House Intelligence Committee argued at a hearing last week, the Chinese government could still order those companies to hand over private information.
Read more: http://nationaljournal.com/tech/amid-chinese-telecom-probe-fbi-calls-for-surveillance-backdoors--20120919
For a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing on Wednesday, FBI Director Robert Mueller submitted written testimony in which he renewed calls for American companies to make sure their systems can be easily monitored by law enforcement.
“Many communications providers are not required to build or maintain intercept capabilities in their ever-changing networks,” he wrote in the testimony. Mueller did not appear before the committee in person. “Because of this gap between technology and the law, law enforcement is increasingly unable to access the information it needs to protect public safety and the evidence it needs to bring criminals to justice.”
Law enforcement officials have called for things like social networks, e-mail systems, and online voice-communication services such as Skype to include prepared systems for police to use for surveillance.
“The increasingly mobile, complex, and varied nature of communication has created a growing challenge to our ability to conduct court-ordered electronic surveillance of criminals and terrorists,” Mueller said.
Such calls come at the same time that lawmakers are investigating whether Chinese telecommunications companies are working with the Chinese government to provide electronic backdoors for spying on American networks. Even if companies such as Huawei and ZTE aren’t actively working with spies, members of the House Intelligence Committee argued at a hearing last week, the Chinese government could still order those companies to hand over private information.
Read more: http://nationaljournal.com/tech/amid-chinese-telecom-probe-fbi-calls-for-surveillance-backdoors--20120919
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