Which statement about CALEA is correct?

• A. It requires carriers to preserve all communications for five years
• B. It imposes no obligations on carriers
• C. It applies only to adversarial jurisdictions
• D. It obligates telecommunications carriers to assist law enforcement in executing electronic surveillance

Answer: (D)

CALEA focuses on giving law enforcement the ability to conduct electronic surveillance under proper legal authority by making sure telecommunications carriers can enable intercepts. In practice, this means carriers must design and operate their networks and equipment so authorized warrants can access communications and related data, and they must cooperate with agencies to implement those intercepts. It does not require preserving every communication for years, nor does it say carriers have no obligations. It isn’t limited to a particular set of jurisdictions; it applies to carriers operating under U.S. law. So the statement that carriers are obligated to assist law enforcement in executing electronic surveillance accurately captures CALEA’s purpose.