FBI wants widespread monitoring of 'illegal' Internet activity

[Demeter]

http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9926899-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

WASHINGTON--The FBI on Wednesday called for new legislation that would allow federal police to monitor the Internet for "illegal activity." The suggestion from FBI Director Robert Mueller, which came during a House of Representatives Judiciary Committee hearing, appears to go beyond a current plan to monitor traffic on federal-government networks. Mueller seemed to suggest that the bureau should have a broad "omnibus" authority to conduct monitoring and surveillance of private-sector networks as well.
The surveillance should include all Internet traffic, Mueller said, "whether it be .mil, .gov, .com--whichever network you're talking about." (See the transcript of the hearing at link.)

In response to questions from Rep. Darrell Issa, a California Republican, Mueller said his idea "balances on one hand, the privacy rights of the individual who are receiving the information, but on the other hand, given the technology, the necessity of having some omnibus search capability utilizing filters that would identify the illegal activity as it comes through and give us the ability to preempt that illegal activity where it comes through a choke point."

In response, Issa said: "Can you have someone on your staff designated to work with members of Congress on trying to craft that legislation?"

If any omnibus Internet-monitoring proposal became law, it could implicate the Fourth Amendment's guarantee of freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. In general, courts have ruled that police need search warrants to obtain the content of communication, and the federal Wiretap Act created "super warrant" wiretap orders that require additional steps and judicial oversight.

In addition, it's unclear whether "illegal activity" would be limited to responding to denial-of-service attacks and botnets, or would also include detecting other illegal activities, such as online gambling, the distribution of "obscene" images of adults engaged in sexual acts, or selling drugs without a license.

[gateley]

1. Under Bush's Patriot Act --

I think most of us here are engaging in "illegal activity." Bottom line, we're not falling in lock-step.

[bemildred]

2. That's what we need, secret police watching us. nt

[nashville_brook]

3. sounds like they're asking if they may now ACT on the intelligence they've already collected.

[vanboggie]

4. Like they aren't already doing that

I think Mueller just wants a law to back up current practices.

[crimsonblue]

5. Issa is a fucking fascist, so why am i not surprised by his support?

This is just another effort by the Gov to try and legalized ex post facto their monitoring of the internet via Att and Verizon (among others). Stay the FUCK away from my internet!

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. I do not believe for one minute that they are *not* already

sucking everything on the internet, on cell and land phones, into that secret room in SF.

I would love for some smart patriotic puter whiz to figure out how to ..

oh dear, now I must think of a way to say this that will not trip the
"code words" and bring huge misguided hordes of men in black knocking my door down at 3 am...

well, you get the idea.

[Zuper Man]

7. That's troubling

It could be used for blackmail by unscrupulous officials.

[cascadiance]

8. My guess is that they're actually funding these bots and phishers...

... just like they or some other "hyper secret" organization in this administration probably "sponsors" secretly terrorism, to make us more amenable to this sort of monitoring activity. It would fit their style. Perhaps it would be worth trying to do some citizen "investigations" of the spammers and other really unwelcome stuff going on to see where the source of it is coming from to see if in fact there is some sort of involvement like this going on.

[Joanne98]

9. They want to monitor the left. They could care less about that other shit. LIARS!

[angstlessk]

10. ya know, these people would demand that when the electric light was invented

having blinds and curtains should be outlawed since the 'new technology' enabled law enforcement to see inside ones house at night therefore if you don't want law enforcement peeking in your window, simply turn off your lights..no harm no foul!!!

[intheflow]

11. K&R. I'm sure they're spying on us (progressives) already.

But that doesn't mean it's right or should be rewarded with legislation they could point to when being investigated for treason saying, "Sure, it wasn't legal then, but it's legal now, so what's the problem?" :grr:

[ogsbee]

12. Like the free speech we're exercising here?