Wiretapping Forever?

The lead story in today’s New York Times, “Officials Push to Bolster Law on Wiretapping,” demonstrates the ongoing conflict between the freedom of the Internet and security concerns by organizations such as the FBI and CIA.

The article describes an effort to strengthen a 1994 law called the Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act. The law requires communications companies to ensure any new technologies they develop are designed in such a way that they enable wiretapping, if required by a court.

The rub comes in the following observation: any efforts to include the ability to wiretap for legal reasons can also be abused by politically repressive regimes to spy on their citizens.

In a disappointing development, the Obama administration is supporting the attempt to strengthen the law. While the FBI may be losing some of its surveillance power as new communications systems are developed, I think it would be better for law enforcement agencies to focus more on human intelligence. We already have more than enough surveillance capability, so much that our law enforcement institutions barely have enough time to review the tapes we have already amassed.

Surveillance is the easy way out in law enforcement. It avoids the need for thorough detective work, infiltration of suspect organizations and other more people-intensive techniques. Slapping another wiretap on someone just avoids the need for good police work in the first place.