The new law is claiming that social-networking websites and providers of VoIP, IM and e-mail have to alter their code to ensure their products are wiretap-friendly. There is however, likely to be a minimum threshold of users before the additional coding is mandatory.
It will build on the current law from 1994, CALEA which applies to telephone companies and not web companies. Named the 'Communications Assistance for Law Enforement Act' was extended in 2004 to apply to ISP companies also.
Companies such as Apple have be lobbying against this because of obvious privacy issues and who would not blame them. It is likely terrorists or persons of interest they might be interested in will already be using more secretive methods and doubt that Osama bin Laden ever owned a Apple or Gmail accounts. The line between privacy and government interference is becoming less and less defined and this step if made into law will set a very steep precedent. What would China implement is this US law passed?
The internet community has also recently been tossed SOPA, 'Stop Online Piracy Act' in January which was a monumental slap in the face to all internet active people and this new potential law will just send those already skeptical of the government into an overdrive and the backlash would be far more significant. Though the government is trying to stop online attacks as well as those using the web to plan offline attacks the general consensus is that 99% of users are not using it for terrorist activities and it would be just one giant invasion of privacy (ironically, it could violate the 6th amendment also).
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