RE: Mass-market crypto phones

"Clay Olbon" writes:
> If I'm not mistaken (and I've been known to be from time to time :-), cell
> phones are already encrypted between the phone and cell tower.

He's mistaken, at least for analog cellphones in the US - digital
cellphones (just starting to come in now) may have some form
of protection.

Before a law was passed, it was easy and legal to listen in on
cellphones on most scanners and many ham radio outfits (and
even some UHF TVs). Now it's merely easy.

It's kind of pathetic - I'm sure that the billions lost to cellular fraud 
far outweigh the value of crimes that the  LEA groups have been 
able  prevent by preserving their ability to illegally eavesdrop on 
cell calls without a warrant.

Peter Trei
trei@process.com
(standard disclaimer applies)

Peter Trei
Senior Software Engineer
Purveyor Development Team                                
Process Software Corporation
http://www.process.com
trei@process.com

On Fri, 22 Nov 1996, Peter Trei wrote:
> It's kind of pathetic - I'm sure that the billions lost to cellular fraud 
> far outweigh the value of crimes that the  LEA groups have been 
> able  prevent by preserving their ability to illegally eavesdrop on 
> cell calls without a warrant.

The LEA's are not intested in saving the public money. They are 
interested in preserving and expanding their power. If it costs 
$1,000,000 per wiretap, who cares? The government has men with guns that 
can always go out and extort more cash from the population.

--Lucky

As Hayek reminded us 50 years ago, even democracies can evolve into a 
totalitarian state.

Be ever vigilant, blah.

-Declan

PS: Over margaritas and enchiladas tonight, I was talking with one of the
crypto-ITAR enforcers from State. I mentioned that I'd be going out of the
country soon and taking my PowerBook laptop. Quite sincerely, he urged me
to keep a record of when I left and when I returned for five years. You
see, I have domestic Netscape Navigator on it. Wacky stuff. 


On Fri, 22 Nov 1996, Lucky Green wrote:

> On Fri, 22 Nov 1996, Peter Trei wrote:
> > It's kind of pathetic - I'm sure that the billions lost to cellular fraud 
> > far outweigh the value of crimes that the  LEA groups have been 
> > able  prevent by preserving their ability to illegally eavesdrop on 
> > cell calls without a warrant.
> 
> The LEA's are not intested in saving the public money. They are 
> interested in preserving and expanding their power. If it costs 
> $1,000,000 per wiretap, who cares? The government has men with guns that 
> can always go out and extort more cash from the population.
> 
> --Lucky
> 


// declan@eff.org // I do not represent the EFF // declan@well.com //