FBI head calls for data retention rules

[lanlady]

FBI head calls for data retention rules

10/18/2006 10:29:11 AM, by Nate Anderson

Do you hear it? That rhythmic beat is the sound of the data retention drum being thumped by politicians and security figures. On Monday, at a conference of international police chiefs, head of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff told his audience that terrorists were using the Internet to radicalize without having to travel. Yesterday, FBI Director Robert Mueller showed up at the same conference and delivered a similar message. "Terrorists coordinate their plans cloaked in the anonymity of the Internet, as do violent sexual predators prowling chat rooms," he said, according to CNet.

Mueller took a further step, though, arguing that the US needs stricter data retention guidelines. "All too often, we find that before we can catch these offenders, Internet service providers have unwittingly deleted the very records that would help us identify these offenders and protect future victims," Mueller said. The solution? Forcing ISPs to retain data for set periods of time.

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http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061018-8017.html