Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1992 10:41:55 EDT From: Dave Banisar Subject: File 4--CPSR Sues FBI for Wiretap Proposal Information CPSR Sues FBI For Information About Wiretap Proposal: Seeks Reasons for New Plan PRESS RELEASE WASHINGTON, DC September 17, 1992 4:30 pm Contact: Marc Rotenberg, CPSR Director (202/544-9240) rotenberg@washofc.cpsr.org David Sobel, CPSR Legal Counsel (202/544-9240) sobel@washofc.cpsr.org Washington, DC - Computer Professional for Social Responsibility filed suit today against the FBI for information about a new wiretap proposal. The proposal would expand FBI wiretap power and give the Bureau authority to set technical standards for the computer and communications industry. The suit was filed after the FBI failed to make the information public. In April, CPSR requested documents from the Bureau about the reasons for the proposal. The FBI denied that any information existed. But when CPSR pursued the matter with the Department of Justice, the Bureau conceded that it had the information. Now CPSR is trying to force the Bureau to disclose the records. The proposal expands the FBI's ability to intercept communications. It would mandate that every communication system in the United States have a built-in "remote monitoring" capability to make wiretap easier. The proposal covers all communication equipment from office phone systems to advanced computer networks. Companies that do not comply face fines of $10,000 per day. The proposal is opposed by leading phone companies and computer manufacturers, including AT&T, IBM, and Digital Equipment Corporation. Many charge that the FBI has not been adequately forthcoming about the need for the legislation. According to CPSR Washington Office director Marc Rotenberg, "A full disclosure of the reasons for this proposal is necessary. The FBI simply cannot put forward such a sweeping recommendation, keep important documents secret, and expect the public to sign off." In a related effort, a 1989 CPSR FOIA suit uncovered evidence that the FBI established procedures to monitor computer bulletin boards in 1982. CPSR is a national membership organization of computer professionals with over 2,500 members based in Palo Alto, California with offices in Washington, DC and Cambridge, Massachusetts and chapters in over a dozen metropolitan areas across the nation. For membership information, please contact CPSR, P.O. Box 717, Palo Alto, CA 94303, (415) 322-3778, cpsr@csli.stanford.edu. Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253