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Even from a civil libertarian point of view, there are a few things
right about the Digital Telephony bill. Most notable is that a police
officer or federal agent must obtain a court order to access your
e-mail. In the past, all that was required was a subpoena, and
generally speaking, subpoenas are easier and faster for an officer to
obtain.
What does it all mean for you as an Internet user? In the short run,
probably nothing. Look down the road a few years and it's another
story. In the future, all telecom systems will be digital and, thus,
tappable. It's doubtful that federal law enforcement agencies will put
up with being able to easily tap communications without having the
ability to decode the messages.
Denis Arnaud
12/19/1997