Swedish ISP Deletes Customer ID Info

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "A Swedish internet service provider, Bahnhof, has begun deleting customer identification information in order to prevent it from being used as evidence against its customers under Sweden's new legislation against copyright infringement via peer-to-peer file sharing. According to this report on 'The Local,' it is entirely legal for it to do so. The company's CEO, Jon Karlung, is identified as 'a vociferous opponent of the measures that came into force on April 1st,' and is quoted saying that he is determined to protect the company's clients, and that 'It's about the freedom to choose, and the law makes it possible to retain details. We're not acting in breach of IPRED; we're following the law and choosing to destroy the details.'"

Comments

Wow

[Spazztastic]

Buy the guy who made that decision a beer. Kudos, Bahnhof.

Re:Wow

[Aladrin]

While I love this decision also, I find it sad that we now applaud people who want to take care of their customers... Didn't that used to be a given?

Re:Wow

[Sporkinum]

Those were the guys with the James Bond villain data center. Just from watching the video, you get the impression they are a good group of nerds.

Re:Wow

[MozeeToby]

Better yet, if you live in Sweden move your Internet connection over to his ISP. This is a very rare chance to financially support someone who is trying to protect your privacy while having little net cost for yourself.

Re:Wow

[J Isaksson]

I don't actually fileshare, but Bahnhof, you have my support and the day you support e-faktura (electronic bills & payment) I'll support you with my business too. /Actual Swede

Re:Wow

[Samschnooks]

While I love this decision also, I find it sad that we now applaud people who want to take care of their customers... Didn't that used to be a given?

Speaking as someone that handles consumer's problems - you are correct. There's nothing I hate more than hearing "Sorry for your inconvenience." - especially from airline employees!

Oh yeah! How about, the next time you're on strike and bitching about how you're not making enough, I walk up to you and say, "Sorry about the inconvenience!"

Here's the thing, with this shitty economy, companies are seeing the light! Amen! They're paying attention to customers. Just walk into a Home Depot now. I got asked 4 times if I found what I'm looking for! Now, they're pissing me off for being so helpful. Talk about the pendulum swinging!

P.S. To you Aladrin: I see that big orange ball by your userID. For what it's worth, whatever I said, I meant nothing personal, but I stand by my opinions. I take responsibility for what I've said that has offended you. Judge me as you will.

Re:Wow

[cloudkiller]

can i get a link to the torrent plz?

Re:Wow

[Anonymous Coward]

Audio book, movie or are you capable of reading?

Re:Wow

[Jugalator]

Actually, that, combined with this, has made me consider a switch from Bredbandsbolaget (a major Sweidsh ISP) to them. They have pretty decent pricing too, and I have no problems at all with BBB -- rather to the contrary. But it would simply feel good to be an ISP customer where the CEO shared my ideals. :-) And know that they at least try to protect the privacy of their customers. That's so little of a given these days that it's scary.

Re:Wow

[PopeRatzo]

the other kind that shows up with as a band of thugs bearing guns and badges

At least here in the US, our corporations are not afraid of "thugs bearing guns and badges" because they are paying those thugs.

That's the modern-day equivalent of when a US governor would send out National Guard troops to kill striking coal miners and their families.

We should never forget that the people who fought and died to create the labor union movement in this country were every bit heroes as the men who stormed Normandy.

We may be about to find out what it's like to live under the thumb of corporate fascists and their puppets in government.

This guy is a hero

[BadAnalogyGuy]

And sometimes heroes get arrested and thrown in jail for obstructing justice.

Re:This guy is a hero

[Andy Dodd]

You don't need DHCP server logs for billing purposes.

You do need them for hunting file sharers.

Re:This guy is a hero

[greed]

Heck, if you sell uncapped, un-metered always-on connectivity, you don't need any logs at all. You need to set up a user name and password, or authorize a MAC address, or energize a particular port on a switch, or something. But it doesn't _matter_ if it ever gets used... the bills are because "you signed up and the month has ended." So you don't need to log it; you just need a way of turning it on when someone starts paying, and off when they stop.

I hope...

[Narnie]

I hope this won't be like what happens in the US where the company deletes data, but when pressured by the courts, they happen to recover a backup.

Re:I hope...

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

I hope this won't be like what happens in the US where the company deletes data, but when pressured by the courts, they happen to recover a backup.

It's worked out GREAT for libraries in the US. The PATRIOT act requires that libraries give up book borrowing records without even a warrant. So within a year or two pretty much all of the common library management software packages were updated to delete all record of who/where/when/what was borrowed as soon as the book is returned. Few people would ever guess it, but most librarians are almost militant about patron privacy.

Judging by the recent trial of TPB

[vivaoporto]

Judging by the recent trial of TPB, following the letter of the law in Sweden is not enough to defend yourself if the case ends up in court.

Agreed.

[A. B3ttik]

The company's CEO, Jon Karlung, is identified as 'a vociferous opponent of the measures that came into force on April 1st'

I'm not a fan of the new slashdot achievement system, either.

Another law

[drstock]

They are actually claiming to follow another law from 2003 called the Swedish Electronic Communications law. It states that traffic information should be deleted or anonymized when it is no longer needed to transmit the electronic message.

New Swedish Data Retension Law

[IanHurst]

in 3... 2... 1...

In next month's news...

[javakah]

Preview of next months news:

Swedish authorities discover that ISPs deleting cutomer ID info has led to them being unable to determine the ID of file sharers, but also child pornographers, terrorists, people threatening suicide, etc.

New laws will be up for debate trying to outlaw deleting this kind of customer ID info, with privacy groups outraged.

(Not advocating anything here, just figuring this is where this is going.)

Statement by Bahnhof

[NewYorkCountryLawyer]

After I'd submitted the article, I was contacted by a spokesman for Bahnhof who advised me that they hadn't just "begun" deleting the customer linkage information, that they have been doing it all along. So the report in "The Local" was not exactly accurate.

Re:New Swedish Data Retension Lawl

[IanHurst]

Oh, fuck me, that's embarrassing. And now it's +5 Insightful. I love the spotlight!

Summary Got it Wrong

[Nom du Keyboard]

Summary got it wrong - AGAIN! They haven't started deleting logs, they've been doing it that way since 1994. This story has been out for a couple days and somehow - in typical Internet fashion - one person got it wrong and everyone else has copied the wrong data. They never saved this data from the beginning because they didn't have to. It's only mentioned now that they're continuing to do what they've done all alone, not that the suddenly started doing something different.