Justice Department seeks mandatory data retention

CNET ^ | 1/24/2011 | Declan McCullagh

[FromLori]

Criminal investigations "are being frustrated" because no law currently exists to force Internet providers to keep track of what their customers are doing, the U.S. Department of Justice will announce tomorrow.

CNET obtained a copy of the department's position on mandatory data retention--saying Congress should strike a "more appropriate balance" between privacy and police concerns--that will be announced at a House of Representatives hearing tomorrow.

[FromLori]

See also

Internet ‘kill switch’ bill will return

snippet..

“A controversial bill handing President Obama power over privately owned computer systems during a “national cyberemergency,” and prohibiting any review by the court system, will return this year.

Internet companies should not be alarmed by the legislation, first introduced last summer by Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), a Senate aide said last week. Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, is chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.”

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20029282-281.html

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Sounds like they want a universal wiretap to me.

As soon as all government employees wear Internet-connected video/audio cameras 24/7 so we can make sure they're not participating in criminal activity, we can talk about them wiretapping the Internet.

[La Lydia]

It would be a herculean task getting that through the House. It has zero chance of passing. Also: Lieberman has just emasculated himself early in the 112th Congress by announcing he is a lame duck.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

-saying Congress should strike a "more appropriate balance" between privacy and police concerns

Right, I trust the police to never, ever abuse their power.

"Appropriate balance", indeed. How about innocent until proven guilty? That's the only appropriate balance at stake here.

[Walkingfeather]

SO where is the ACLU? crickets....

[proxy_user]

https: strings of gibberish were exchanged.

[Wurlitzer]

Anyone still think we have a functioning Constitution to protect us from the vermin in the ruling class?

[Myrddin]

The Communications Act of 1934 puts limits on a Common Carrier intercepting customer communications. It is generally referred as a "wire tap" when used in the context of a voice communication. It generally requires a warrant from the court. Is the "Justice Department" suggesting an illegal tapping of customer communications without a court order? Holder and his weasels just can't wait to wipe their butts with the 4th Amendment.

[who_would_fardels_bear]

"It would be a herculean task getting that through the House"

It would be a herculean task for each ISP to keep track of everything that everyone of their customers does on-line.

Are they going to keep track of every site we visit? How long we visit? What the site looked like when we visited it? What we downloaded? The actual files we download (and not just the file name)?

If criminals are encrypting data within downloaded movie files, for example, then must the ISP keep copies of every movie their customers download in order to be able to get at the encrypted data that might be there?

The only reasonable requirement would be to keep track of users on-line history, so once again it will be easy to invade the privacy of innocent citizens while being impossible to prevent criminal activity. The only thing that will be accomplished will be the diminishment of our Constitutional freedoms.

[BuffaloJack]

Idiots making regulations because they can.
With no idea how much of a logistics and storage nightmare it would be to have to store every website visit and download.

[antiRepublicrat]

This is already law in Europe. Coming here soon.

[antiRepublicrat]

The Communications Act of 1934 puts limits on a Common Carrier intercepting customer communications.

Hate to say it, but what they want will be found constitutional. They aren't looking for a full record of every byte, but the computer equivalent of pen traces. ISPs keeping records helped the DoJ catch Mike Kernell, Sarah Palin's email hacker.

[Seadog Bytes]

RE: "That aligns the Justice Department with data retention's more aggressive supporters among House Republicans and places it at odds with privacy advocates, civil libertarians, and the Internet industry. Those groups have questioned the privacy, liability, cost, and scope, including whether businesses such as coffee shops would be required to identify and monitor whoever uses their wireless connections."

1. How do YOU spell "T-A-X"...?
2. Raise your hand if you if you trust the Obama Justice department to refrain from using this additional information to attack 'political' adversaries, and instead use it SOLELY to monitor CRIMINAL activity... and we'll do our best to try to get you some 'help'.

[bereanway]

My, the jack-boots have apparently identified control of the internet as their first priority in keeping the unwashed in line. A renewed push for net neutrality, user ID’s and now this all in the past month or so. Seems that a real sense of urgency is in the air.

[Nachum]

The list, ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

[Seadog Bytes]

“soulution” = solution

[GeronL]

It is not the governments job to track what sites we go to. If you want to know, get a warrant and come to my house.

[TLI]

Criminal investigations "are being frustrated"

Reaal Eric?

Which ones?

[Cindy]

Thanks for the ping Seadog Bytes