Aircell holds an arrangement with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) whereby it can immediately shut down its in-flight Internet system on any aircraft if the agency determines that a security threat exists on a flight, under an arrangement referred to as “Super CALEA”.

Congress in 1994 enacted the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), a wiretapping regulation that was intended to preserve the ability of law enforcement to conduct electronic surveillance by requiring that telecommunications carriers and equipment manufacturers design their equipment, facilities, and services to ensure that they have the necessary surveillance capabilities in place.

Eleven years later, in 2005, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) determined that providers of certain broadband and interconnected voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services must also be prepared to accommodate law enforcement wiretaps.

“CALEA allows the feds to collect informatio

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