it's a joke...it has to be...I know Big Brother is watching us...but to
that extent? Don't think so, we're protected under The United States
Privacy Act...
Woody
Computer Technician
Security Consultant
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Wed, 23 Sep 1998, Jim Hatridge wrote:
>
> FBI Asks for Legislation to Monitor Entire Internet. Microsoft Agrees to
> Modify Operating Systems to Comply, In Exchange for an End to All Litigation.
>
> NEW YORK /DenounceNewswire/ -- 18 July 1998 -- The Federal Bureau of
> Investigation (FBI) has asked a Senate committee to add language to a Justice
> Department appropriations bill to require a number of high-tech companies,
> including Microsoft Corporation, to provide law enforcement personnel with
> real-time access to the data that flows into and out of personal computers
> connected to the Internet. Microsoft announced that it would fully support the
> bill, including the FBI provisions, in exchange for a permanent end to the
> government's antitrust litigation against the company as well as the ability
> for Microsoft to also have access to the Internet data. The government agreed.
> "It's a good deal for America," says Attorney General Janet Reno, "and we have
> Microsoft's promise that they will use the data only to improve their products,
> which will benefit every consumer."
>
> The bill, which would go into effect next Friday, would enable law enforcement
> (and Microsoft) to essentially "tap at will" any Internet connection in the
> United States, if not the world. Bureau experts claim the tapping would slow
> down the average user's Internet connection "by only 20 per cent," which they
> believe will be "more than acceptable considering the increase in criminal
> prosecution which will result from the tapping."
>
> Microsoft explained that it would modify every copy of Windows 95, NT, and
> Windows 98, automatically without customer intervention, such that every byte
> of data sent or received by the computer would be copied and sent to the FBI's
> central clearinghouse for inspection followed by approval or prosecution.
>
> "We've been anticipating this move for years, so the mechanisms in our
> operating systems have been in place since 1994 for this eventuality," said
> Bill Gates of Microsoft.
>
> Internet content-blocking companies, including the makers of NetNanny,
> CyberSitter, and SurfWatch, expressed outrage at the bill. "If the government
> does the censorship then consumers won't need our software, and that puts us
> out of business," said a NetNanny spokester.
>
> Indu Strypundit, an industry pundit occasionally asked to provide a pithy quip
> of commentary at generally this point in a Denounce story, was unavailable for
> comment, as he was packing and moving to, sources say, an undisclosed island
> in the Pacific.
>
> Asked if this bill would, in effect, "kill" what's left of the beleaguered
> Bill of Rights, FBI Director Louis Freeh said, "What's that?" upon which it
> was explained to him what the Bill of Rights was, to which he replied, "Oh,
> well, that explains it, that document is over 200 years old, now tell me, how
> is that relevant in today's society?" upon which it was explained to him why
> the document was still relevant but he wasn't convinced, said he was busy, and
> took no further questions.
>
>
>
