******** >From: "Rodger, William" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "'[EMAIL PROTECTED]'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: USA TODAY: Online search warrants soar >Date: Thu, 27 Jul 2000 16:49:09 -0400 > >Declan -- I suspect politechnicals will find this article of some interest. > >Will >http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/cti289.htm > >Search warrants for online data soar >By Will Rodger, USATODAY.com > > >The number of search warrants seeking citizens' online data has soared >during the past several years, a USATODAY.com study shows. >The findings, based on an examination of search warrants served on the >nation's largest Internet service provider, America Online, came as a >surprise to federal lawmakers and civil libertarians and are prompting calls >for legal reforms. > >The warrants, served by state and local investigators from across the >nation, were aimed at discovering the identity and activities of AOL >subscribers. In 1997, AOL was served with 33 search warrants, according to >court logs in Loudoun County, Va., where AOL is based. > >That number jumped to 167 in 1998 and 301 in 1999 - an increase of more than >800% since 1997. > >This year, state and local investigators had served 191 warrants on AOL >through July 17, the logs show. > >Congressional leaders informed of USATODAY.com's findings said they will >examine legal standards applied to Internet investigations. At a minimum, >House Majority Leader Richard Armey, R-Texas, said police need to tell >Congress when, why and how they perform electronic searches. > >Critics are concerned because they believe that electronic surveillance of >all types is a highly powerful tool that, if not tightly controlled, >violates rules against unreasonable police searches. > >"We do have reports on wiretaps," Armey said. "Why shouldn't people have a >right to know what the government is doing to access personal correspondence >in any media?" > >Armey's displeasure echoes the criticism members of a House subcommittee >expressed this week over the FBI's new "Carnivore" Internet wiretapping >device. Members say the FBI may be intercepting too much e-mail when it >tries to nab messages still in transit from one Net user to another. > >But privacy advocates say that while official Washington occupies itself >with the legality of Carnivore's real-time e-mail interception, it is >ignoring another, possibly more important point. The e-mail stored in online >accounts after messages have been delivered has only a fraction of the >protections afforded an ordinary telephone call or e-mail still in >transit................ > > ><remainder deleted> > >Will Rodger Voice +1 703 558 3375 >Technology Reporter Fax +1 703 558 3981 >USATODAY.com http://tech.usatoday.com > PGP 584D FD11 3035 0EC2 B35C AB16 D660 293F C7BE 3F62
