Who's on the Other Line? (Part II)
Last month, in Part I of what was only to be a one-part series, we discussed the possibility that the government might be tapping your phone. While this is one of the hottest topics of the upcoming mid-term elections, we avoided delving into the political machinations that are behind the taps, and like Joe Friday, tried to stick to just the facts:
Well, no one (not even VoIP) can hide forever. After a relatively short appeals process, the courts have spoken, and the "wiretappers" have come out on top:
Is there still hope for those who want to live in a world without wiretapping? You can always go back to school:
For many, this has been a long time coming. Traditional landlines and cell phones have already been open to this kind of surveillance, so it's not as though VoIP has been singled out. However, VoIP might still give you more privacy than its counterparts.
Whether you're up in arms or taking the decision in stride, you're not alone. Both sides of the debate (and both sides of the aisle ) will be heard loudly through this year's elections, and most likely through the elections in 2008.
"'While the NSA supposedly received records from three largest phone companies, the agency doesn't have the wherewithal to contact smaller VoIP vendors, which has prompted some consumers to switch to other carriers... VoIP companies...offer greater anonymity since PC to PC calls are more difficult to track, and since customers only have to provide an email address to get an account.'" (From Marketing Shift)
Well, no one (not even VoIP) can hide forever. After a relatively short appeals process, the courts have spoken, and the "wiretappers" have come out on top:
"US courts have said that authorities can continue tapping of VoIP calls and VoIP providers must provide access to their networks...A deadline of 14 May 2007 has been set for VoIP companies in order to comply with the decision." (VoIP Now)
Is there still hope for those who want to live in a world without wiretapping? You can always go back to school:
"...private networks (like those on college campuses), however, will theoretically remain legally secure from the wiretaps." (From Endgadget)
For many, this has been a long time coming. Traditional landlines and cell phones have already been open to this kind of surveillance, so it's not as though VoIP has been singled out. However, VoIP might still give you more privacy than its counterparts.
Whether you're up in arms or taking the decision in stride, you're not alone. Both sides of the debate (and both sides of the aisle ) will be heard loudly through this year's elections, and most likely through the elections in 2008.