What are wiretaps? By definition wiretap is any interception of a telephone transmission by accessing the telephone signal. It is related to the term “electronic eavesdropping” and involves the use of an electronic transmission or recording device for the purpose of monitoring conversations without the permission of the parties involved. The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) is a United States wiretapping law passed in 1994.

Professional wiretap transcription services are offered by transcription companies and involve listening to these recorded conversations and converting them into transcripts for the concerned authorities so that they can be used as evidence in court. Usually it is the Federal law enforcement officials who can tap telephone lines/ Internet by obtaining a court order to detect unlawful activity. It is the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court conducts a secret proceeding before giving the permission.

What are the different types of telecommunication carriers according to CALCAE? They are,

• Common telecommunication carriers
• Broadband Internet access providers
• Interconnected Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers

According to the federal law, recording of phone calls is possible only with the consent of at least one of the party to the call. This is the standard adopted by most states in the US. But there are few states that require consent from both the parties. Though, since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, all states have passed laws to increase their wiretapping authority.

All telecommunications companies are by law, obliged to cooperate in the matter for law enforcement purposes and are duly compensated for the same. Managed Outsource Solutions (MOS) is a US based legal outsourcing pioneer with specialisation in all types of legal transcriptions like wiretap transcription, verbatim transcription, court proceedings transcription, trial transcription, legal letter transcription and hearings transcription to its clients in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.

Labels: affordable legal transcription, CALCEA, electronic surveillance, legal wiretap transcription, wiretaps