Law Requires Italian Web Cafes to Record ID

Armadni General writes "CNN is reporting that a new Italian law requires that all businesses offering public internet access, such as web cafes, to identify and record all customers. While supporters of this law trumpet its anti-terrorism potential, still others see no such advantage and bemoan this invasion of personal privacy. 'They must be able, if necessary, to track the sites visited by their clients. [...] Contents of people's e-mail is, however, supposed to remain private and can only be made available to law enforcement through a court order. Italy also obliges telecommunications companies to keep traffic data and European ministers agreed last week to require the carriers to retain records of calls and e-mails for a maximum of two years. The European Parliament's two largest groups endorsed the data retention initiative on Wednesday despite complaints from privacy advocates and telecoms, and the full body is expected to adopt a bill next week.'"

Comments

as an italian...

[LkDotCom]

It's just bad to to have to submit to this law...
But having to read it on /. is the very bottm... :(

Re:as an italian...

[Spacejock]

Just curious here. What happens if you plug a memory stick into the net cafe PC and run linux on an emu? (I can't remember the exact name of the distro now - I've got a couple of installs around here somewhere.) If you read your email & browse the web via a home server using an ssh link - even vnc via SSH if you're on broadband. In that situation, aren't they stuffed when it comes to recording everything you're up to? And if they object to running things off memory sticks, what if you use your own laptop?

Re:as an italian...

[Anonymous Coward]

China has seized to be communist

seize Audio pronunciation of "seize" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sz) v. seized, seizing, seizes v. tr. 1. To grasp suddenly and forcibly; take or grab: seize a sword.

cease Audio pronunciation of "cease" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (ss) v. ceased, ceasing, ceases v. tr. To put an end to; discontinue: The factory ceased production. See Synonyms at stop.

China opened up to foreign investment in 1979 (see Foreign Direct Investment in China).

No point in this...

[Chaffar]

Well what's next? Swiping your ID card everytime you call from a public payphone ? If monitoring emails is seen as a way to curb terrorism (or so the argument goes), then knowing who is using a public payphone at what time will surely help us in stopping many other potential crime,, rapists, blackmailers, stalkers, will all have to find another way. But no such measure will ever be in place. Why? Because it's not about security, it's not about protecting us.

It's about data mining, it's about control... they want to be able to have access to unlimited information at our expense. Right now governments are pushing their authority as far as they can, just to see how far they CAN go. And apparently they can do whatever the fsck they want.

As a Frenchman, I had wished that Europe in general would remain a beacon of personal freedom while the U.S. ate away its people's freedom in the name of "freedom" (Patriot Act, anyone?). But unfortunately the reality of things is quite different.

Re:open wireless = trouble

[ATeamMrT]

if you leave you wireless network unprotected and people use it for doing something illegal, you are likely going to be in trouble in some form

The law needs to pass the Corkey test. What happens when someone of a low IQ decides to follow the instructions of "plug and play". I would suspect the manufacturers to be more responsible that the end user. For example, what about when grandma decides to take home a wireless router and she does not secure it and someone uses it for an illegal purpose? How will the court convict someone who can't program a VCR? Where is the Mens Rea (guilty mind)? Sure, the act might be there, but was the intent?

The only other option is to force everyone to get a special license to use this kind of equipment. If wi-fi is that dangerous, then govenment might do that. And I'm sure they could think of a nice name for the tax... "Defending on-line liberty act".

If cable companies are moving to digital content with television, it is only one step away from securing their whole network, so that nobody unauthorized can get on. Everything will be DRM'ed, and the network will be closed.

Real ID Act and Cyber Cafe's in the US

[RedneckJack]

I can see Congress passing a law to where you must present ID that conforms to the coming Real ID Act of 2005 before connecting to the Internet at a public conveyance. No more anonymous connections here in the USA such as going into libraries or places that offer free Internet.

Re:open wireless = trouble

[penguin-collective]

What happens when someone of a low IQ decides to follow the instructions of "plug and play". I would suspect the manufacturers to be more responsible that the end user. For example, what about when grandma decides to take home a wireless router and she does not secure it and someone uses it for an illegal purpose?

Someone may be able to get away with that defense once or twice; after that, manufacturers will put big warning labels in their manuals and make the defaults more secure (that's already happening, actually).

How will the court convict someone who can't program a VCR? Where is the Mens Rea (guilty mind)? Sure, the act might be there, but was the intent?

Intent is not necessary; carelessness that harms others is sufficient for legal consequences and responsibility.

If cable companies are moving to digital content with television, it is only one step away from securing their whole network, so that nobody unauthorized can get on. Everything will be DRM'ed, and the network will be closed.

The more people behave irresponsibly with digital content, the more of an excuse those companies have. So, don't give these people an excuse.