The Obama web policy has expanded to consist of something besides more broadband for every person. The Obama administration and law enforcement agencies are working on a new bill, which will further regulate the telecommunications industry. The regulations will contain greater access for monitoring purposes. Should the bill, which isn't slated to go before Congress until 2011, pass into law, increased access can be granted by mandate to regulation enforcement and intelligence officials. Basically, it will mean that fewer means of communication could be beyond the all watching eye of Washington.
Article Resource: Obama Internet policy expands to include greater surveillance
Obama web rules
According to the New York Times, the White House wants to pass a bill expanding monitoring and wiretap accessibility for intelligence and regulation enforcement agencies. The bill builds upon existing jurisdictions. The Obama administration is behind the bill, which is due next year. The bill will mandate that all methods of communication be designed to permit federal surveillance. Land lines and cellular phones are easy enough to get into. However, there are some forms of electronic communication which are private and encrypted.
Not good for developers
Though this law would certainly favor large businesses that have the engineering staff to deal with new specifications, startup tech companies will be at a disadvantage. Recent bans of the Blackberry as a result of way Research In Motion designed it occurred, over exactly this type of issue. The system keeps emails and other messages encrypted and private, off limits even to the company itself. RIM is in the process of complying with surveillance needs of several governments, and corporations such as Skype and other VOIP, or voice over web protocol, corporations will have to re-engineer their products to regulatory standards. Law enforcement and intelligence officials have complained that their surveillance abilities are "going dark," as fewer people rely totally on phone communications.
All listening ear
Except for sign language, few methods of communication are exempt from the ability of government to listen in. There was a great deal of controversy over the Bush domestic spying program. Obama has not dealt with fears of subversion of civil liberties. The government maintains that its requests for access are not unreasonable, nor unprecedented. Powers of this sort could be used for good, however are effortlessly misused.
Articles cited
NY Times
nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27wiretap.html?pagewanted=1
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