Wire-tapping proposals set to sting corporate IT

NEWS Proposals to allow government agencies to eavesdrop on Internet and satellite communications may hurt corporate IT departments as well as ISPs. The consultation period for the contentious Interception of Communications Act (IOCA) ended last Friday, and according to Keith Mitchell, chairman of the London Internet Exchange (LINX), the act in its current form would force companies to foot the bill for monitoring equipment themselves. IT departments are also likely to be torn between requirements to protect employees' privacy, and to allow law enforcement agencies to tap private networks, if illegal activity is suspected. In an exclusive interview with Silicon.com, Mitchell said: "The legislation will provide for making it illegal to monitor on private networks as well as public networks. That also means potentially if you're a corporation operating a private network then you may be asked by the authorities to provide monitoring facilities." No date is yet known for when the Bill will be debated in Parliament, but groups such as Cyber-Rights & Cyber-Liberties and ISPA have expressed concerns that the development of ecommerce in the UK will be adversely affected by constraints put on ISPs and other businesses. Last week in Japan, similar legislation was passed only after a marathon 28-hour session in the country's Upper House - opposition politicians strongly protested government wire-tapping efforts, resorting to filibustering tactics.