Volunteer Snoops Coming to an ISP Near You?

The Register (US Version) ^ | 07/22/2002 at 10:31 EST | Thomas C Greene in Washington

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Congress has been working on legislation to create a militia composed of 'technology experts' who will manage the telecommunications infrastructure in times of national emergency.

The Senate bill passed last week emphasizes disaster response, not terror prevention, with such things as patching leaky government servers and databases, setting aside bandwidth and developing interoperable standards for emergency communications, and organizing local teams of geeks ready to lend a hand putting it all back together in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

All that sounds quite reasonable and the initial budget of $35 million refreshingly modest. But before we applaud, let's recall two things. First, most people in government actually expect some al-Qaeda kiddiot crew to fry the Internet with worms and ping floods one day; and second, we've seen a tremendous interest by the current administration in encouraging citizens to rat each other out for 'suspicious behavior'.

One example of this trend is the Department of Justice (DoJ) Operation TIPS, a pilot program establishing a snitch-network of workers eager to report on citizens. The postal service was originally solicited, but demurred.

So while there's no language in the bill referring to any sort of communications or Internet monitoring, we have to wonder if the agency about to be created might find ways of exerting pressure on volunteers to 'keep an eye on things'.

It seems plausible that volunteer geeks whom the agency deems trustworthy to rat and keep their mouths shut (consider the irony of trusting someone who squeals) might be in for a bit of gentle arm-twisting.

Both the Senate and the House have passed measures; the next step is to sort out the differences and portion out the pork in conference committee. The senate version is S-2037. The House version is included in its Homeland Security legislation.

On a related topic, we note that EFF Chairman Brad Templeton has just put up a Web page where citizens can rat on TIPS rats in return.

[AdA$tra]

I especially like the idea of chalking the known informants with this symbol.

[dead]

I'm telling the government that you posted this.

[billybudd]

I'm telling EFF that you posted this.

[dead]

You just made the list too, buddy.

[APBaer]

Dean Wormer:
"As of this moment, they're on Double SECRET
Probation!"

[USA21]

Kiss Free Speech goodby

[lelio]

What seems to be missing in this is that they aren't going to catch terrorists with this as they'll hide their messages in images and such and will be incredibly difficult, if not impossible to detect.
So they'll be left with being to snoop on ordinary citizens. I'm sure the number of home invasions will increase.

[strela]

"It's time that somebody put their foot down. And that foot ... is me."

[efaust93]

Anyone ever heard of PGP? Encrypt your mail and keep the eyes out.

that is until they make it illegal to encrypt e-mail... like many nations have.

But that couldn't happen here... could it? hmmmm.

Freedom of Speech - watch what you say!

[Cachelot]

Kids, kids... the Illuminati know everything without being told...

[wbill]

"I think that this situation requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part......And we're just the guys to do it."

[strela]

"They can't do that to our pledges! Only WE can do that to our pledges!"

[PsyOp]

Food-For-Thought Fight!

[wbill]

LOL!

"Nothing is over until WE say it is! Was it over when the ...Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!

Germans?

Forget it, he's rolling."

[wbill]

BTW, you're all worthless and weak. Drop and give me 20.

[Salgak]

Ever hear of Traffic Analysis ? Guess what happens when you suddenly start sending encrypted emails ??? Guess who gets a much closer look. Oh, and if you bought PGP commercially beyond version 5.0, expect it to have a backdoor.

Try GNU Privacy Guard instead. . .

[AdA$tra]

ROAD TRIP!!!!!

[wbill]

Fat, Drunk, and Stupid is no way to go through life, son.

[AdA$tra]

You just made the list too, buddy.

Five bucks says we are all on that list!

[Focault's Pendulum]

You just made the list too, buddy.

And I'm gonna be watching you , buddy boy. Just becaus you're dead doesn't mean you don't need some watching.

Especially when it comes voting time.