DOJ Seeks Mandatory Data Retention For ISPs

Hugh Pickens writes "Computerworld reports that in testimony before Congress the US Department of Justice renewed its call for legislation mandating Internet Service Providers (ISP) retain customer usage data for up to two years because law enforcement authorities are coming up empty-handed in their efforts to go after online predators and other criminals because of the unavailability of data relating to their online activities. 'There is no doubt among public safety officials that the gaps between providers' retention policies and law enforcement agencies' needs, can be extremely harmful to the agencies' investigations,' says Jason Weinstein, deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department, adding that data retention is crucial to fighting Internet crimes (PDF), especially online child pornography. Weinstein admits that a data retention policy raises valid privacy concerns however, saying such concerns need to be addressed and balanced against the need for law enforcement to have access to the data. 'Denying law enforcement that evidence prevents law enforcement from identifying those who victimize others online,' concludes Weinstein." Think about how much evidence is denied to law enforcement by envelopes, opaque concrete, and criminals' failure to shout.

Comments

Re:OK. You can record me if I can record you.

[jimbolauski]

Or you could just use an out of country VPN to hide yourself and if your super paranoid multiple VPNs. The best part is that the pedophiles all ready do this so it won't even help the children, and will probably hurt them because more people will turn to VPN's so the traffic will be even harder to trace.

Re:Child Pornography

[SuricouRaven]

Originally, just sexual abuse of children was illegal. Then it became child pornography, on the grounds that demand for it created an incentive to abuse children. After that though, it just got sillier and sillier. It's a ratchett effect - any politician can gain by tightening or extending the law in this area, but to so much as suggest weakening it would open one up to accusations of not careing about protecting children. So the laws can only ever get broader, never narrower.

Re:Let them give the example, and record themselve

[hairyfeet]

Actually there is no way in hell they'll do that because last time they tried tracing child porn it led them to the Pentagon! That's right boys and girls, your tax dollars at work, as they had the giant brass balls to actually buy and download CP while sitting there at work in the Pentagon.

And why wouldn't they? Because unlike those poor peasants where they are guilty until proven innocent the prosecutor declined to file charges in nearly all the cases!

So if they want to pass this I think we should start with a five year "zero tolerance" policy for government officials of ALL branches. How much you want to bet they'd be all for privacy then? Sadly this will never be, instead it'll be another case where the law doesn't apply to them, just to everyone else.