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FBI Posts Fake Hyperlinks To Trap Downloaders of Illegal Porn

Posted by Soulskill on from the if-you-thought-getting-a-shock-site-link-was-bad dept.

mytrip brings us a story from news.com about an FBI operation in which agents posted hyperlinks which advertised child pornography, recorded the IP addresses of people who clicked the links, and then tracked them down and raided their homes. The article contains a fairly detailed description of how the operation progressed, and it raises questions about the legality and reliability of getting people to click "unlawful" hyperlinks. Quoting: "With the logs revealing those allegedly incriminating IP addresses in hand, the FBI sent administrative subpoenas to the relevant Internet service provider to learn the identity of the person whose name was on the account--and then obtained search warrants for dawn raids. The search warrants authorized FBI agents to seize and remove any "computer-related" equipment, utility bills, telephone bills, any "addressed correspondence" sent through the U.S. mail, video gear, camera equipment, checkbooks, bank statements, and credit card statements. While it might seem that merely clicking on a link wouldn't be enough to justify a search warrant, courts have ruled otherwise. On March 6, U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt in Nevada agreed with a magistrate judge that the hyperlink-sting operation constituted sufficient probable cause to justify giving the FBI its search warrant."

3 of 767 comments (clear)

  1. Porn?? by thoughtlover · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Now why would the FBI have to sully the good reputation that porn has generated since the first woman took off her clothes for money? What did porn do the the FBI to make them the new moral police?

    In all reality, this smacks of entrapment.

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  2. the problem is ... he was into child porn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    all the evidence is there ... he destroyed two hard drives while the agents were at his house, and he did have some thumbnail images ... c'mon the man is guilty ... no sympathy from me, I only hope they beat him up too

  3. Re:I would have read the article before replying by Dan541 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    No I'm just pointing out not everyone is educated you prove that yourself.

    ~Dan

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