

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


CPSR Sues FBI For Information About Wiretap Proposal:
Seeks Reasons for New Plan


	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.
