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.