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 feature CIOs grapple with the ethics of implementing AI With ethical considerations around AI use increasingly top of mind, IT leaders are developing governance frameworks, establishing review boards, and coming to terms with the difficult discussions and decisions ahead. By Esther Shein Dec 11, 2023 13 mins Generative AI Generative AI Generative AI feature Reed Smith turns to AI for lawyer staffing solution The legal firm’s Smart Resourcing tool helps balance workloads and ensure partners find associates with the right skills and experience, while empowering employees to make connections across the firm’s global footprint. By Sarah K. White Dec 11, 2023 8 mins CIO 100 Legal Digital Transformation news Emirates NBD drives sustainability goals with Microsoft partnership By Andrea Benito Dec 10, 2023 2 mins CIO news COP28: How Du and Ericsson's partnership is supporting UAE Net Zero Strategy By Andrea Benito Dec 10, 2023 3 mins CIO Green IT 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