EU looks into VoIP tapping

EU looks into VoIP tapping
by Shaun Nichols

The EU's criminal justice branch is set to investigate ways for law enforcement to listen in on voice over IP (VoIP) phone calls. The Eurojust unit announced on Friday that it would begin an investigation into methods which law enforcement organizations could employ to tap calls on VoIP systems such as Skype. The move is part of an effort to stem what law enforcement groups see as a growing reliance on VoIP as a more secure means of communication than conventional phone systems.

Italy's Direzione Nazionale Antimafia first requested the investigation after police in Milan claim that local crime syndicates were using Skype for communications and that enforcement officials had been unable thus far to decrypt the company's secure communications system. While the investigation will be focused in Italy, Eurojust said that it would assist any enforcement group from a member state in similar efforts. "The possibility of intercepting internet telephony will be an essential tool in the fight against international organised crime within Europe and beyond," said EU acting Italian national member Carmen Manfredda. Our aim is not to stop users from taking advantage of internet telephony, but to prevent criminals from using Skype and other systems to plan and organise their unlawful actions.
This is not the first instance of government agencies looking to tap VoIP services. Last fall a report suggested that the Chinese government was also looking for ways to listen in on Skype calls.