It's not easy for the FBI to listen in to phone calls over the Internet. The technology is called voice over Internet Protocol or VOIP. The FBI can and does subpoena the phone records from Internet service providers but the technology isn't set up to allow live monitoring. The Justice Department believes this is a place where terrorists can conduct nefarious dealings undetected. This month the Federal Communications Commission updated the 1994 Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act to extend phone wiretapping access to computer Internet calls. This week, privacy watchdogs, technology companies and a group representing colleges and universities filed legal challenges against the new rule.
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