Caron Carlson

In late January, AT&T was sued in federal court for allegedly acting as an agent of the government in enabling the National Security Agency to spy on citizens without court authorization. Now, some U.S. lawmakers are trying to find out what role Verizon Communications and Sprint Nextel played as well. Sens. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and […]

In light of the recent controversy over several U.S. companies compliance with Chinese censorship policies, the U.S. Department of State is launching a task force to monitor threats to an ongoing open Internet by repressive governments. The Global Internet Freedom Task Force, announced Feb. 14, will examine how repressive regimes use technology to track and […]

In an attempt to transform its voice, data and video networks into a more efficient, converged system, the U.S. Department of the Treasury attempted to emulate enterprise network procurement. However, the department broke the cardinal rules of enterprise management, failing to adequately comparison shop, analyze costs and document a solid business case before taking action, […]

This week, U.S. Senators plan to delve into the slippery subject of network neutrality, which everyone in the country is in favor of—as long as each person can define it on his or her own terms. The principle of net neutrality generally holds that network owners should remain neutral with respect to the content they […]

Lawmakers remain at loggerheads in attempting to renew 16 controversial provisions of the USA Patriot Act, voting late Feb. 2 to give the provisions a second five-week extension to continue negotiations. Because of their questionable impact on constitutional rights, Congress gave the 16 provisions a four-year expiration date when it hastily passed the Patriot Act […]

Robert McDowell, an attorney representing telecommunications carriers that compete against the Regional Bell Operating Companies, has been named by President Bush to fill the fifth seat on the Federal Communications Commission. McDowell, whose appointment requires Senate confirmation, is senior vice president and assistant general counsel for the Competitive Telecommunications Association, and he previously served as […]

Reports of the unauthorized sale of personal telephone records may be sending chills up the spines of callers across the county, but the practice does not occur underground or on the black market. It occurs right out in the open, and according to regulators its a growing problem. Numerous data broker Web sites advertise personal […]

AT&T is being sued in federal court for allegedly violating the Constitutional rights of Americans by enabling the National Security Agency to spy on citizens without court authorization. In a class action suit filed Jan. 31, the Electronic Frontier Foundation accused AT&T of playing an instrumental role in “a secret and illegal government program to […]

The U.S. Department of Defense is moving forward to deploy a $34 billion Global Information Grid, but it is not clear who is in charge of the project and nobody is held accountable for the results, according to the Government Accountability Office. The Pentagon has characterized the massive network undertaking as the cornerstone of its […]

U.S. senators are getting ready to delve into the slippery subject of network neutrality, which most people are in favor of—as long as they can define it on their own terms. The principle of net neutrality generally holds that network owners should remain neutral with respect to the content they carry. The three largest network […]

Among the many ways Americans see themselves getting swindled these days, identity theft ranks first. Of nearly 700,000 grievances lodged with the Federal Trade Commission last year, 37 percent concerned ID theft, the agency disclosed Jan. 25. The most common means of stealing identities is through credit card fraud, according to the complaints filed with […]

Public safety officials from police departments in Louisiana and Alabama are joining telecommunications carriers and equipment makers in Washington to seek answers for the failure of communications networks during Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. In some areas, the disruption left emergency responders even less prepared for this years storms than last years. In New Orleans, […]