How does Carnivore compare to Japans laws?
The law, passed August 13 of 1999, allowed law enforcement to wiretap telephone, fax, and Internet communications. It is modeled on the United State’s 1994 CALEA law, though it specifically singles out crimes involving drugs, guns, illegal immigration, and murders committed by groups (i.e. organized crime and cults). There is a Japanese law that requires all ISPs to make available pen-register style log of all Internet communications that their law enforcement can subpoena at any time. In Japan, the police are not allowed to wiretap lawyers, doctors, and religious leaders (though cults do not count as religions – the wiretap laws are designed partially to deal with incidents like the sarin gas attacks by the Aum Shinrikyo cult). Article 21 of the Constitution of Japan: Freedom of assembly and association as well as speech, press and all other forms of expression are guaranteed. 2) No censorship shall be maintained, nor shall the secrecy of any means of communication be violated.
