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FBI Bugging Public Libraries

Posted by michael on from the liberty-is-just-a-brand-of-jeep dept.

zamiel writes "Bill Olds writes in the Hartford Courant: 'I know my librarian, and I believe she would tell me if the government were tracking my computer use at the library. Don't you agree? No way. There's a gag order. When the FBI uses a court order or a subpoena to gain access to library computers or a list of the names of people who have borrowed certain books, librarians can't tell anyone - not even other librarians or you. They face a stiff federal penalty if they do. It's unfair that librarians should be placed in such a position.'" The American Library Association has a page with advice to librarians and links to previous news stories on the subject.

3 of 455 comments (clear)

  1. So what? by Call+Me+Black+Cloud · · Score: 0, Troll

    This is "news for nerds"? It may be important to discuss in the big scheme of things but let EFF run their own discussion boards on these topics. I suppose the criminal nerds and terrorist nerds have reason to be concerned but this is off topic for the average nerd.

    It's time to implement modding of topics. Crap (like "version 0.1001a of 'abc' has been released!") can be shunted off to the dead pool for those that care and marginal topics that may have been rejected otherwise could get voted to the front page.

    That's right, I'm not posting anon...but I know the cowards will come out to respond.

    1. Re:So what? by LineNoiz · · Score: 1, Troll

      I'm relatively new to /., but I don't remember ever seeing any sort of stipulation that one MUST read every article that appears on the front page. Read the topic, read the synopsis. If you don't like/care about the topic, ignore it. That's what I do whenever I see any Linux/FreeBSD/Open Source/ad nauseum posts. I don't care, so I ignore it. Do I complain that it is there? No, I just ignore it. It's not terribly difficult.

      --
      "Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit." --Oscar Wilde
  2. Absolutely outrageous!! by bmetzler · · Score: 1, Troll
    This has got to be the most outrageous complaint I've seen on /. yet. I fully support granting the FBI every single possible thing they might need to protect me. If they need to convertly monitor public computers to protect me from Al-Quida, then I am in full support of it.

    Why are Americans so bent on protecting criminals? I don't understand. I want my liberties protected by giving the FBI every opportunity it needs to protect me.

    -Brent