Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL) Director Jose Rafael Vargas has said there is an industry of libel and professionals who extort others through telephone espionage. He stated that phone tapping is penalized with imprisonment and fines, according to El Caribe. “No company, institution, or person in this country is authorized, no matter how powerful they may be, to intercept or violate the privacy of a person or institution” warned Vargas. Phone tapping with the intention of spying on individuals suspected of illegal activities is authorized by a judge for a maximum term of 30 days, according to Supreme Court of Justice resolution 2043-2003.