From: olson@dstl86.gsfc.nasa.gov (Paul Olson)
Subject: Re: SIMPLE QUESTION
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Mission Operations and Data Systems
Date: 29 Aug 1992 10:14 EST  

In article <1992Aug29.000930.21472@colorado.edu>, bear@tigger.cs.Colorado.EDU (Bear Giles) writes...
>In article <Aug.28.09.52.50.1992.2561@romulus.rutgers.edu> vanembur@romulus.rutgers.edu (Bill Van Emburg) writes:
>>In article <!8=n72l.feustel@netcom.com> feustel@netcom.com (David Feustel) writes:
>>
>>> The IRS in 1990 came up with a regulation that permits IRS agents to
>>> listen to cellular telephone conversations without a warrant.
>>> -- 
>>From what I understand, monitoring of radio signals (including
>>cellular telephone conversations) is considered legal.  A friend of
>>mine told me that a local detective friend of his uses this method to
>>track many criminals that aren't bright enough to avoid using a
>>cellular phone for illegal activities.
> 
>A few years ago Congress made it a crime for citizens (but probably
>not enforcement agencies) to eavesdrop on certain portions of the
>radio spectrum.  This covered the frequencies used by cellular phones
>and satellite TV channels.  Gee, I wonder why?
> 
>Citizens can still use these frequencies; they just have to pay access
>charges to the companies that 'own' the frequencies.  (My word, not
>Congress's).
> 
>Somehow Congress did not bother making it a crime to eavesdrop on
>the frequencies used by poor people.  Sorry, cordless phones and FM
>baby monitors.  (This law passed around '88, when cellular phones were
>still quite expensive).
> 
>Your detective friend almost certainly is eavesdroping on users of
>cordless phones.  Not only is this possible (listening to a moving
>cellular phone is extremely difficult because it changes frequencies
>when moving between 'cells'), it's also been admitted in court.
> 
>BTW, scanner manufactors had to change their PROMs to skip cellular
>phone frequencies, although there is apparently a healthy black market
>in unrestricted PROMs.
> 
> 
>Bear Giles
>bear@fsl.noaa.gov

Yes, once again Congress shows their ignorance and fear of a technical issue. 
Sen. Chuck Robb gets burned, and because the rest of the members of Congress
use celluar phones, they get scared and pass a law that flies in the face of
the freedom of the airwaves.  Granted, I don't know much about these laws, but
it really seems to me that instead of passing unenforceable laws (i.e. no
physical evidence => you'll only get busted if you tell someone about it), they
should let the marketplace take care of itself.  Once cellular customers get
wind of the fact that anyone with a scanner can hear them, they'll insist on
encryption.  OOOPPPSSS!  Sorry!  Forgot that the FBI and NSA are trying to get
Congress to pass the encryption/evesdropping bill...

I've never heard about the law regarding satellite transmissions.  When was
this passed?  Does it affect ALL transmission?  Maybe that's why NASA Select TV
states that it can be viewed for free...  What?  Has competition for
advertising dollars gotten soooooo difficult that the broadcasters have gone
screaming to Congress to pass laws protecting waves they send into the air?

You know, folks, sooner or later we're going to have to take our government
back from the scared and ignorant bureaucrats that we've seemed to let into the
door.  The more I read and see, the more I'm realizing they're like kudzu, i.e.
ubiquitous and insideous.

+--------+-------------------------------------------------------------+
|      __| Paul J. Olson - VAX Systems Manager & Resident Amiga Addict |
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|__  /// | DECnet-    DSTL86::OLSON                                    |
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| \XX/   | Disclaimer: Statements in my messages are wholely my own.   |
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Organization: Masters student, Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA