In hopes of better tracking criminals and terrorists online, the Obama Administration is pushing sweeping internet legislation. The proposal would require social networking sites, as well as voice-over-Internet service providers to create technology that would allow law enforcement agencies to monitor any users suspected of criminal or terrorist activity.

Considering that people are more apt to communicate over social networks as opposed to phone lines, federal law enforcement agencies are somewhat in the dark.  The new legislation, which government officials hope to submit to lawmakers next year, is being developed to bring law enforcement agencies up to speed on more modern forms of communications.

The new legislation, if passed, will grant law enforcement agencies the authority to essentially tap any online and or internet based voice service. That includes internet chat programs, peer-to-peer messaging, and encrypted email messages.

The Communications Assistance to Law Enforcement Act (or CALEA), which was passed in 1994, requires phone companies to provide an avenue for law enforcement agencies to monitor calls with a court order. The CALEA, however, does not apply to the social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, which is what has motivated the White House to work on new legislation.

The new legislation raises concerns over online privacy, as well as whether or not online service providers are even capable of meeting the demands of the new legislation. Vice President of the Center for Democracy and Technology, James X. Dempse,y said to the NY Times that, “They basically want to turn back the clock and make Internet services function the way that the telephone system used to function.”

The legislative plan is still in development, but whether it will be edited to better meet requirements of online service providers is unclear.

The Washington Post