US - FBI plans new Net-tapping

Yesterday I posted about our success in disrupting terror activity on the Internet. In that post I remarked "How long before the New York Times exposes whatever secret program is being used to monitor Internet chat rooms?" While not specifically about chat rooms and not the New York Times, this CNET report seems like another classified leak about our Internet intelligence activities.

The FBI has drafted sweeping legislation that would require Internet service providers to create wiretapping hubs for police surveillance and force makers of networking gear to build in backdoors for eavesdropping, CNET News.com has learned.

FBI Agent Barry Smith distributed the proposal at a private meeting last Friday with industry representatives and indicated it would be introduced by Sen. Mike DeWine, an Ohio Republican, according to two sources familiar with the meeting.

The draft bill would place the FBI's Net-surveillance push on solid legal footing. At the moment, it's ensnared in a legal challenge from universities and some technology companies that claim the Federal Communications Commission's broadband surveillance directives exceed what Congress has authorized.

[...]

One source, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of last Friday's meeting, said the FBI viewed its CALEA expansion as a top congressional priority for 2007.

While the report doesn't mention the document was classified, one has to wonder why the sources want to remain anonymous.
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