Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (CALEA)
| Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act | |
|---|---|
| CITATION | 47 USC §§ 1001 - 1021 |
| ENACTED | 1994 |
| SUMMARY |
The law defines the existing statutory obligation of telecommunications carriers to assist law enforcement in executing electronic surveillance pursuant to court order or other lawful authorization. The objective of CALEA implementation is to preserve law enforcement's ability to conduct lawfully authorized electronic surveillance while preserving public safety, the public's right to privacy, and the telecommunications industry's competitiveness. CALEA requires telecommunications carriers to ensure that equipment, facilities or services they provide are capable of expeditiously isolating and enabling the government, pursuant to a court order or other lawful authorization, to intercept, to the exclusion of other communications, all wire and electronic communications carried by the carrier within a service area. |
| DATA COVERED | Records maintained by a telecommunications carrier, including the name, address, telephone toll billing records, telephone number or other subscriber identify and the length of service of a subscriber. |
| INDUSTRY | Telecommunications carriers” which means a person or entity engaged in the transmission or switching of wire or electronic communications as a common carrier for hire. |
| PENALTIES | A telecommunications carrier, a manufacturer of telecommunications transmission or switching equipment, or a provider of telecommunications support services may be fined a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per day for each day it is in violation after the issuance of a court. |
