Administration wants ability to wiretap the internet

Federal law enforcement and national security officials are pushing Congress to mandate that all online communications, such as Facebook and Skype, must be technically capable of intercepting and unscrambling encrypted messages if a court issues a wiretap order.

Many people oppose such a mandate, including Sascha Meinrath, the New America Foundation’s Open Technology Initiative director, because it infringes on the Fourth Amendment protection from unreasonable search and seizure, and could make companies who install surveillance tools more susceptible to hackers.

Sami Saydjari, founder and president of Cyber Defense Agency, believes that if done correctly, there should be no problem with hackings or infringments of 4th Amendment rights.