Credit: Thinkstock A U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ruling requiring voice-over-IP (VoIP) providers to give law enforcement agencies wiretapping capabilities is legal, a court ruled Friday.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the FCC’s August 2004 ruling saying interconnected VoIP providers must allow wiretapping by May 14, 2007. Several groups, including the American Council on Education, Sun Microsystems and the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), had appealed the ruling, saying it could introduce security vulnerabilities into VoIP services and drive up costs for customers.The FCC ruling requires VoIP providers that provide a substitute service for traditional telephone service to comply with a 1994 telephone wiretapping law called the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), in requesting the ruling, argued that their surveillance efforts are “compromised” without CALEA rules for VoIP.FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said in a statement he was pleased with the court’s decision. “Enabling law enforcement to ensure our safety and security is of paramount importance,” he said. “[The decision] will ensure that law enforcement agencies’ ability to conduct lawful court-ordered electronic surveillance will keep pace with new communication technologies.” But the CDT said the FCC ignored U.S. Congress’ efforts to keep regulations away from IP services.“This ruling threatens both civil liberties and technology innovation,” CDT Policy Director Jim Dempsey said in an e-mail. “This decision threatens the privacy rights of innocent Americans as well as the ability of technology companies to innovate freely.” -Grant Gross, IDG News Service (Washington Bureau)Related Link: Man Charged With Selling Hacked VoIP ServicesCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content BrandPost Leadership superpower: Succeeding sustainably As today's great leaders recognize, true success is not solely measured by the bottom line but also by the impact a business has on its stakeholders, including employees, partners, and the environment. By Marie Kalliney, Practice Leader, Digital Transformation Services, Broadcom Mar 28, 2023 5 mins IT Leadership BrandPost Helping the C-suite leverage their network as a business-boosting asset By Tanya O'Hara Mar 28, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership Opinion 5 hard questions every IT leader must answer Strong leadership is vital to IT success — and shouldn’t be taken for granted. Continual self-reflection is essential for knowing whether it’s time to restructure your approach to leading IT. By Thornton May Mar 28, 2023 5 mins Business IT Alignment IT Leadership Feature CIOs address the impact of hybrid work Assessing how some of the most progressive CIOs strive to provide both technological and emotional support for a dispersed workforce. By Pat Brans Mar 28, 2023 8 mins CIO Remote Work Employee Experience Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe