he was? >His term is thankfully over in just 4 short years. He wasn't just the son >of Bush Sr., but was actually elected, at least the second time right?
he is? >He is greatly limited in what he can and can't do, especially as pertains to >US citizens. Face it, Tim, the man thinks you and I are stupid. If mentioning that the emperor has no clothes makes me an extremist ::shrug:: By the way, wave to Big Brother, my friend....this conversation will remain available to the authorities for the next two years. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/272556_webprivacy02.html Friday, June 2, 2006 Bid to save online activity data for 2 years raises privacy fears U.S. wants Net providers to save user records to aid terror, porn probes By VANESSA HO, DAN RICHMAN AND MIKE LEWIS P-I REPORTERS Tapping away at his laptop in a Seattle coffee shop, Matthew Lange fumed over the news: The federal government has asked Internet companies to preserve customer records for up to two years to aid in criminal investigations. "I personally don't want large banks of information on me," said Lange, a 33-year-old Web designer. "It's too much of an invasion of privacy." Reaction Thursday ranged from rage to worry, with many people in the Seattle area viewing the data-storing request as a further erosion of privacy. But some experts weren't as concerned. They said privacy on the Internet is largely a myth anyway. USA Today reported Thursday that U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller have asked Google, Microsoft, AOL, Comcast, Verizon and other Internet service providers to preserve the click-by-click records of Web users far longer than normal. The information could be mined later to assist investigations into child pornography and terrorism. Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the government did not ask the companies to preserve the content of e-mails, but e-mail traffic and Web searches would be fair game. Roehrkasse said the government will still be required to seek proper legal authority, such as a subpoena, before obtaining the records. He said any change in the retention period will not alter that requirement. But many people in Seattle seethed over the data request, especially because it came on the heels of reports a few weeks ago that the National Security Agency had amassed a giant phone-records database that it intended to use to help detect terrorist plotting. "It is an invasion of people's privacy to keep a record of all of their actions beyond the point that there's any business need for it," said Seattle lawyer Doug Klunder, director of the Privacy Project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington. "It's really no different than requiring cars to track every movement of the vehicle and keeping that record for two years. It lets the government find out where somebody has been, even though they had no suspicion at the time." In a statement Thursday, Microsoft Corp.'s senior security strategist, Phil Reitinger, said the Redmond software maker "strongly supports Attorney General Gonzales' interest in assuring that the Internet is safe for everyone." But Microsoft indicated it won't necessarily agree to retain data for unlimited periods. "Data retention is a complicated issue, with implications not only for efforts to combat child pornography but also for security, privacy, safety and availability of low-cost or free Internet services," Reitinger said. Microsoft's MSN is the nation's third-largest search engine. Its Hotmail is the original free, Web-based e-mail service. At Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp., the largest provider of high-speed cable Internet access in the Seattle area, the company issued a statement that said it "fully shares the attorney general's concern with the need to combat illegal use of the Internet for child pornography, terrorism, and other illegal activities." The company declined further comment. At Verizon Communications, another service provider serving Seattle, spokesman Kevin Laverty said he did not know whether the company will extend its record retention to meet the government's request. In a statement, Google said: "Any proposals related to data require careful review and must balance the legitimate interests of individual users, law enforcement agencies and Internet companies." Most Internet companies already retain some data -- it helps route information when regular customers log in. But they generally purge it every 30 to 90 days. Computer and privacy experts say preserving information longer is more difficult and expensive. The request might also someday extend to every coffee shop, school, university and city that offers Internet service. Al Gidari, a senior partner at Perkins Coie law firm in Seattle who represents Internet companies, said long-term data retention might have unexpected consequences in litigation. If divorce lawyers, for example, know that a local ISP has two years of records that might help a case, they would seek that information. "You are not just inviting the government in, you also inviting every civil attorney in. You can just envision the intrusion as a result of this," Gidari said. Klunder, of the ACLU, said he was concerned about the security of any data that are stored long term, because of an increased chance of someone stealing or losing it. "One of the most basic rules of data privacy is that once data exists, it can never be 100 percent protected," he said. He also worried that the government's request may make some Internet users more nervous in researching sensitive information, such as safe-sex Web sites or resources for domestic violence. But the Internet isn't all that private to begin with. Unlike other forms of communication, such as telephones and letter mail, which have clear legal standards, Internet privacy laws "are incredibly loose," said Margaret Chon, a privacy and Internet law professor at Seattle University's law school. Since each computer leaves a signature nearly as individual as a fingerprint, it's fairly easy to track where each computer has surfed. So how much secrecy do Internet users really have? "Zero. None. There's no such thing," said Andrew Nichols, assistant manager at The Computer Store, an Apple retailer in Seattle. The only way to get any measure of anonymity or privacy is to use a public computer, such as those available at libraries or copy centers, Nichols said. Assistant Attorney General Rachel Brand said that Gonzales has not made any decisions about how to proceed, and that the department would be mindful of the privacy issue. Industry representatives were expected to meet again today with Justice Department officials. "We are looking at whether requiring longer data retention or asking ISPs to do it informally is something we want to pursue," Brand said. The data request is an outgrowth of Gonzales' interest in beefing up child porn investigations, some of which he said have been hampered by Internet companies' failure to retain records long enough. FINDING HELP TO PROTECT YOUR PC Technology allows snooping on communications, but it also provides ways of maintaining some privacy -- at least until the snoopers catch up. Thomas Greene, a Washington, D.C.-based journalist and author on security issues, suggested a few such ways: Clean house first, using at least two different anti-spyware products and one anti-virus package on your computer. No fancy encryption or privacy software can keep you safe if a hacker has broken into your PC and is recording your keystrokes. Recommended site: www.spybot.com Use so-called anonymizing sites to encrypt and make anonymous your e-mail, online searches and Internet browsing. www.anonymizer.com/consumer/products/total_net_shield/ Educate yourself on where confidential data resides on your computer. Set up encrypted partitions to contain those data. Don't just delete unwanted data -- obliterate it with specialized software. www.whitecanyon.com/wipedrive-erase-hard-drive.php Scramble your phone conversations by using the Internet and new software called Zfone. www.philzimmermann.com/EN/zfone/index.html Encrypt your instant messaging. www.verisign.com/products-services/security-services/pki/pki-application/secure-instant-messaging/index.html Boot your computer so it's totally anonymous and secure (only for Unix). kaos.to/cms/content/view/14/32/ Create your own network and keep it private, using free software such as InvisibleNET. www.invisiblenet.net/ Similarly, create a virtual private network. computer.howstuffworks.com/vpn.htm Surf the Web using software such as Secure Shell (only for Unix and very techie). www.ssh.fi/products/tectia/ Keep abreast of the issues: Wired magazine online. www.wired.com Electronic Freedom Foundation. www.eff.org/ People for Internet Responsibility. www.vortex.com/privacy Electronic Privacy Information Center. www.epic.org/privacy/intl/data_retention.html This report includes information from The Associated Press and Bloomberg News. P-I reporter Vanessa Ho can be reached at 206-448-8003 or [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:210296 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
