After some in Congress urged the Federal Communications Commission to conduct inquiries into the role telcos allegedly played in federal government's domestic wiretapping program, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is saying the agency declines to do so. Martin said the FCC doesn't want to tamper with issues on national security.
This is a predictable stance by the FCC, looking to protect the government from further embarrassment over this issue. However, this initial refusal doesn't necessarily improve the situation for the telcos involved. Democrats in Congress still seem intent on questioning the telcos one way or another, and there's likely to be some back-and-forth between Congress and the FCC in the next several days to figure out how an inquiry will proceed.
For more:
-Read this story [1] from CNET
Related articles:
- Congress put the heat on telcos [2] just last week
Links:
[1] http://www.news.com/FCC-wont-probe-disclosure-of-phone-records/2100-1036_3-6212116.html?tag=topicIndex
[2] http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/telco-wiretapping-fiasco-worsens/2007-10-03?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=link