Forwarded from NewsScan Daily: > NewsScan Daily, 21 May 1999 ("Above The Fold") > > ************************************************************ > NewsScan Daily is a summary of significant information technology news, > written by John Gehl & Suzanne Douglas. It is a FREE service of > NewsScan.com. Visit us at http://www.NewsScan.com/. > ************************************************************ [...] > ELECTRONIC WIRETAPS TRIPLED LAST YEAR > The number of wiretaps placed by state and federal law enforcement officials > on cell phones, pagers, e-mail and other telecommunications devices nearly > tripled last year, and for the first time wiretaps on cell phones and pagers > outnumbered those on conventional telephones. About three-quarters of the > 1,329 wiretaps authorized were related to drug cases, according to a report > issued by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Wiretaps on > wireless communications devices -- cell phones and pagers -- more than > doubled, from 206 in 1997 to 576 last year, and for the first time, five > e-mail wiretaps were implemented. (USA Today 21 May 99) > http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/ctf213.htm > > EU PLAN FOR INTERNET SNOOPING UNDER ATTACK > The U.K. House of Commons Select Trade and Industry Committee has released a > report criticizing the European Union's Enfopol resolution, which would > force Internet service providers and telecommunications carriers to > establish an infrastructure that would enable law enforcement agencies to > intercept Internet traffic. Calling the plan unjustified and unfeasible, > committee chairman Martin O'Neill said, "We felt the civil-liberties > arguments outweighed the security arrangements. If (the intelligence > services) could justify what they were doing in terms of results, people > would want to do it. Otherwise, it's a leap in the dark." O'Neill also > noted that such restrictions could damage the climate for e-commerce in > Great Britain, and Europe in general. (TechWeb 21 May 99) > http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19990520S0022 [...]