Internet telephony, or voice over Internet protocol (“VoIP”), is terminology used to refer to voice traffic carried over Internet Protocol (“IP”) based broadband Internet networks. VoIP providers proffer telephone services for about $25 a month, which is appreciably less than traditional phone plans (see, for instance, www.vonage.com and www.att.com). At low cost and widening availability, VoIP is common in business, and might be used at a greater volume and frequency among tech and e-commerce companies, thus making it a technology and a commodity to watch.
Unfortunately, for consumer and businessperson alike, a concealed cost of VoIP service might be a user’s privacy. That’s because traditional telephone privacy is strictly sheltered by existing case law and statute, while VoIP, it could be argued, is unprotected in many instances.
