CNN: Feds put squeeze on Internet firms (re. data retention)

[DeepModem Mom]

Feds put squeeze on Internet firms
Tracking pornography, terrorists sited as reasons for data retention
From Kevin Bohn
CNN
Tuesday, May 30, 2006

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- During a meeting last week with some of the nation's leading Internet service companies, the attorney general and the FBI director asked a variety of customer information and other data be kept for two years, much longer than the companies do now, the Justice Department confirmed Tuesday.

Companies have varying policies regarding what information is kept and for how long.

One thing the Justice Department wants is some type of subscriber information, such as the Internet address assigned to a person when logging on to a service provider, two sources familiar with the meeting told CNN.

The online industry is expected to strongly oppose any request to retain these types of records because of privacy concerns for their customers.

"It is a slippery slope," one of the sources said of the government's interest in the information. "It becomes a fishing expedition."...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/internet/05/30/internet.records/index.html

[MadMaddie]

1. What is the gov going to do when customers of these companies

drop their services and stop using the internet.....(anything is possible)...

The are eroding privacy right in front of our eyes...

[jwirr]

6. Not to mention destroying another business.

[Canuckistanian]

2. If the Govt. doesn't have a specific warrant

Then the ISP's can tell Gonzales to stuff it.

Unless the Justice Dept. is threatening the ISP's, they have no incentive to just give away information like that.
Indeed, there may be a major consumer backlash and a legal jeopardy if they're found out.

[Iowa]

3. Feds "put squeeze on"?????

They "put the squeeze on"? The feds don't "squeeze" a big corp to do anything. The corps tell the feds what to do - not the other way around.

[genieroze]

4. Here we go again.

Gawd I hate these fascists.

[ShockediSay]

5. phone bank jamming, gerrymandering and worse dirty tricks

become more doable

[goforit]

7. Hope y'all been printing.

[katty]

8. been printing like crazy for 5+yrs

[sweetheart]

10. why?

What's a printout matter?

[Demeter]

9. I Had To Show A Photo ID To Buy Cold Medicine Today

Federal law, the clerk said. To What POINT????

This madness must stop. The ridiculous laws, the pointless restrictions, the constant promotion of terror, the destruction of our Constitutional rights and freedoms and the erosion of our privacy must stop now!