US Attorney General to ISPs: You Must Spy

Published on September 20, 2006 By Zoomba In WinCustomize News

US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales went before Congress this week to urge senators to pass legislation that would require Internet Service Providers to retain logs of customers online activity for at least a year or two for use in police or federal investigations. This lobbying comes amidst the most recent push to regulate online content, specifically that which is considered unsafe for minors.

The proposed data retention rules are strongly supported by law enforcement officials at more or less every level, starting as low as local sheriffs and going all the way to 49 attorneys general. Privacy groups are expected to have a tough time gathering support to oppose any such laws.

Recent months have seen an increased interest in protecting minors online, with lawmakers turning their eyes to social networking sites like MySpace, Xanga and Facebook. Additionally, data retention and analysis regulations are being considered for any organization that receives federal funding, specifically targeted at schools.

Currently, ISPs and other data connectivity providers are only required to retain data for up to 90 days, beyond which they can be deleted. Specifics on how such records should be stored for the proposed 1-2 year period are not yet clear, and will likely pose a significant technological challenge to any service provider or social networking site required to comply.

Comments (Page 2)

Jafo

on Sep 20, 2006

If [and it's a big 'if'] you trust authority you will trust its deportment.

This Internet thing is NOT [sorry, commands ] any one generation's 'belonging'. It 'belongs' to all.

Not 'all' are within [or even WANT to be within] the bounds of the US Constitution.

Laws and regulations/restrictions are set in place with the [sometimes failed] attempt to regulate society to limit damage from the more unsavory elements therein.

Those who complain the loudest about such things as this either are philosophical idealists without solid founding in reality or are worried for their vested interests - aka guilt.

1984 has been and gone. Society has not yet melted into the scum of literary social science-fantasy....in spite of the best attempts.

There'll be a shitload of spitting and moaning over things such as this....then it'll quietly happen anyway....and people will rush off to champion the next perceived 'cause'.

JAFO awaits the first evokation of the 'fascism - evil overlord' hysteric analogy...

Corky_O

on Sep 20, 2006

Oh, man!!

Here comes big brother again.

At least I can still select my own beer and coffee!

seldomseen

on Sep 20, 2006

[the NewNetPolice?

]

PhrozenMenace

on Sep 20, 2006

the net is gonna suck.some may see it as protection but when do the gov't protect ppl..

Old_Crab

on Sep 21, 2006

This is just the beginning of constant gov't survillence. It will grow and grow. 1984 is here. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Watch yourself carefully. Soon there will be a Patriot Watcher in every neighborhood. Our children will be indoctornated and given instructions on how to protect themselves from Mom and Dad. It's O.K. They've been taken to a little vaction resort......Gitmo.

Bandit4edu

on Sep 21, 2006

I hear that West Virginia coal mines are unsafe for miners...do they keep logs of those???

RPGFX

on Sep 21, 2006

Jafo said exactly what I feel. He just speaks much better than I. Thank you Jafo!

RPGFX

on Sep 21, 2006

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Watch yourself carefully. Soon there will be a Patriot Watcher in every neighborhood.

Again, if you are doing no wrong, there's nothing to be afraid of.

seldomseen

on Sep 21, 2006

Having experienced, first-hand, the machinations of our courts and attendant legal maneuvering by those versed in the practice of law and its interpretation and applications, I have found a vast difference between current law and morality. What has been made clear to me is that there is (1)legally "right", and, (2)morally "right". The two are not always in agreement. I have had the experience of being told by the court that my wishes and goals for the outcome and conclusion of my case, although morally valid and unquestionably proper and beneficial for all concerned, could not, at the time, be granted, as the applicable laws did not support my plea for justice at the time. Stunned and bewildered, I've walked from courtrooms knowing I was right, but that interpretation of the law and showmanship in the presentation of such interpretation to the court held sway. Who, then, gets to interpret what I do as "right" or "wrong"? My fear is of tyranny and loss of rights. My fear is of pandering to special interests that are not those I hold to be morally right. I want to be protected from those that would harm my loved ones and fellow beings, but at the same time I do not wish to grant free access to our homes. Protect us, but, please, respect our privacy and dignity. If you feel you need to install spyware, hardware and/or software, in my personal space, please don't do so unbeknownst to me. Give me a reasonable choice. Right?

Fourth Letter

on Sep 21, 2006

Again, if you are doing no wrong, there's nothing to be afraid of.

Whatever happened to the land of the free and innocent until proven guilty ? people have a right to privacy and if anyone thinks that the US governement watching the internet will make the country safer is in a dream land.

cybermessiah

on Sep 21, 2006

The erosion of civil liberties has already begun and like in nature, once erosion has begun, its pretty much irriversable.

A vast majority of people have already been satisfied to sacrifice some civil liberties in the cause of 'The war on Terrorism'....'The Faceless Enemy!'... The doors are wide open..... Your enemy don't need a face now....it can be whoever or whatever your government decides in order to effectively and subjectively 'protect' its 'civilians'.

If your govenment now decides that it wants to further erode your civil liberties with the justification of securing the welfare of children....its just another step forwards in protecting you even more.....and no matter how much you rant and rave, it will be achieved quietly and subversively while the masses have their attention drawn away to either ranting and raving over the next issue of 'national' security, or by whats happening in their most important soap-opera on the telly. The ball has been rolling for quite some time now guys....u really expect it to stop now?!

Commands puts it quite clearly...

"If you sacrifice liberty for security, then you deserve neither liberty nor security." - Ben Franklin

...and further more you'll get neither.

Matchbook

on Sep 21, 2006

If you aren't doing anything devious online, what do you care?

Eh, hate to be the voice of dissention, here, but this lacks an angle, IMO. If one were to accept these proposed laws with open arms: Then why not further protection?.. I'm *just as* against the abuse of a spouse, so why not video cams in apartments and condos to regulate these things?.. It's not so bad if you don't beat your wife/husband, right (yes, sarcasm)? As much as that would, indeed, curb some (or a lot?) of the violence in the home, I think it'd be dead wrong. I'm in favor of education, myself.

I mean no disrespect for any one here, especially RPGFX (Hey, mate

) -- just my rarely spoken two cents. Cheers, guys.

_footsie_

on Sep 21, 2006

Hi everybody.....I haven't posted in a long long time I hope you don't mind my putting in my two cents worth on this one, because it's such an important subject...I think the more input from the people the better.

I don't trust the administration. And there are alot of crooked cops out there, too.

If they want to work WITH the parents.....maybe they should....monitor the kids online....nail the freakos that try to get flakey with them.

I don't like the idea of some strange person I don't know from Adam....could be a freako themself...stalking me around the web and logging my activities....I don't do a whole heckuva lot online...just stop in here once in a while and go over to the Colbert Site and raise a few eyebrows (jokes, not icky stuff) lol....

Besides....is the administration willing to put all their filthy little secrets on the table? NO

I don't have any filthy little secrets yet they want BIG BROTHER to hang around everything I do when they could be out catching the REAL badguys and not wasting my or my ISP's time with their unreasonable search and seizures.....

I hear ya on the disrespect thing, causticFX.....I don't want to rub anybody the wrong way, either...I just want to be able to voice my opinion here, too

Thanks and good to see you all out here....still doing your fantastic artwork!

footsie

Adamness

on Sep 21, 2006

I hate to say it, but Alberto Gonzales has a lot more to worry about than children getting harassed online. But then again, this has nothing to do with the saftey of children...

HG_Eliminator

on Sep 21, 2006

Again, if you are doing no wrong, there's nothing to be afraid of.

I doubt the guy from Canada in this weeks news .. the one who was wrongly accused by officials in his area and imprisoned,tortured.. would agree with this statement...( i cant find the story on MSN's web site at the moment) ... but basically he was accused because officials needed to prove to the public that their new national security measures were working and needed a "terrorist" to nail... since they couldnt find one they fingered him. He was whisked out of the country and tortured til he confessed to being a terrorist. Eventually he was released and his story eventually became headlines. An inquiry proved his innocence as well as the false accusations by officials.

False accusations and witch hunting are definately something to fear with every new Power "assumed" by Officials who need to justify their jobs...

now maybe a way to block sites at the ISP level so that way if a site's content is illegal in an area it cant be viewed..? that would remove all the type of sites that would be harmful and typically prey on the innocent and would not require probing everybodys net historys...???? just a thought..

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