US FCC Scraps CALEA Move, Raising Telecom Security Fears

Lawmakers Say Reversal Strips One of Few Enforceable Standards for Major Carriers Chris Riotta (@chrisriotta) • November 24, 2025

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission's move to scrap its short-lived interpretation of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act - the 1994 statute known as CALEA - sparked warnings that the agency just eliminated one of the few enforceable cybersecurity tools for the telecom sector.

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Lawmakers and cybersecurity analysts spoke out Monday after the vote, saying the decision strips away one of the only mechanisms the federal government had to hold large carriers to baseline security expectations. Critics warned the rollback could weaken accountability for telecom providers that have been prime targets for cyberespionage campaigns (see: Experts See Little Progress After Major Chinese Telecom Hack).

The move follows one of the worst telecommunications hacks in U.S. history, in which Chinese hackers ...