Justice Dept. Rejects Google's Privacy Concerns

Philip K Dickhead writes "The Associated Press is reporting that the Justice Department rejected Google's concerns over a Bush administration demand to examine millions of its users' Internet search requests on privacy grounds. The department claims this will help revive an online child protection law that the Supreme Court has blocked, by proving that Internet filters are not strong enough to prevent children from viewing pornography online. A federal court hearing is scheduled in San Jose, California, March 13th."

Comments

Re:Hmm - maybe they should be allowed after all?

[Garse Janacek]

They're right. Internet filters sucks, and if they can throw a court verdict after them, then maybe this will help end the censorship and convince the government that filters are a dead end.

Or maybe I'm missing something?

Sadly, you're missing something.

Their conclusion will not be "Filters are a dead end, let's give up and throw them out."

Their conclusion will be, "Filters are not absolutely 100% bullet-proof!!! Our kids are looking at PORN ON THE INTERNET!!! Won't someone PLEASE think of the children!", after which they will be free to re-pass a controversial, struck-down-by-the-courts censorship law restricting Internet porn. Sure, this will be about as effective as a law restricting the sharing of copyrighted mp3s, but even so, it's kind of sketchy that they're making these sorts of laws in the first place...