Internet lobby vows 'wiretap mandate' will be 'dead on arrival' in Congress

A lobbying group representing Internet companies including Google, Facebook and Yahoo is fighting back against a draft federal proposal that would make it easier for police to intercept online communications as they occur.

"The Department of Justice has not made the case for granting law enforcement broad new powers over Internet companies for purposes of new wiretap authority. There are a number of serious unintended consequences with this flawed proposal." Michael Beckerman, the CEO of The Internet Association, said. "A wiretap mandate for the Internet is dead on arrival," he added.