Law enforcement officials want the 1994 law to also cover Internet companies because people increasingly communicate online. An interagency task force of Obama administration officials is trying to develop legislation for the plan, and submit it to Congress early next year.

The Times says the US government is looking to expand a 1994 law, the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, to include online communications. The law currently requires network access providers, like phone and cable companies, to be able to respond immediately to court-ordered wiretapping.