FBI unit intercepts VOIP

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has set up a unit to monitor voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) communications, GMA News reports.

The FBI's new unit, dubbed the Domestic Communications Assistance Centre (DCAC), is tasked with developing electronic surveillance technologies.

DCAC's mandate is to intercept and decode VOIP conversations from companies such as Skype, as well as analyse data from a wireless provider and social networks.

DCAC represents the technological component of the bureau's Internet wiretapping push, which was recently allocated $54 million by a Senate committee, CNET states.

The FBI wants Internet companies not to oppose a proposed law that would require social networks and providers of VOIP, instant messaging and Web e-mail to build in backdoors for government surveillance.

Executives from the FBI have been attempting to work with ISPs to create backdoors to their systems; however, it's expected it could take months, if not years, to properly implement, The Inquisitr says.

The NSA is in the process of building a large data centre to capture and analyse electronic communication.