Keystroke Logging isn't Wiretapping

Via Slashdot.org

The other day I mentioned that Gutnick vs Dow Jones had been resolved in such a way that defamation under Australian law could extend to the point where the publishing or downloading of the page took place, in this case Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. I said at the time that I was unsure of the ramifications of this decision, happy that there was some regulation being attempted but wary of further ramifications. Well, I know how I feel about this decision and I'm not happy at all.

"A federal judge in Los Angeles has dismissed wiretapping charges against a California man who used a hardware keystroke logger to spy on his employer, SecurityFocus is reporting. The court ruled that the device doesn't violate the federal Wiretap Act because it only intercepted signals off a keyboard cable, not an interstate network."

The ramifications are huge for anyone worried about civil liberties and privacy. Thankfully this precedent is still only valid in the U.S., however these sorts of things have an insidious way of spreading.
Federal Judge: Keystroke Logging Isn't Wiretapping