All Internet service providers would need to track their customers' online activities to aid police in future investigations under legislation introduced Tuesday as part of a Republican "law and order agenda."
Employees of any Internet provider who fail to store that information face fines and prison terms of up to one year, the bill says.
The U.S. Justice Department could order the companies to store those records forever.
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Legislation introduced in Congress requires all Internet service providers to keep track of what their customers are doing online to aid police in future investigations.
Bottom line:
The bill--part of a Republican-led "law and order agenda"--echoes almost word for word a proposal made last year that never made it to a floor vote.
Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, called it a necessary anti-cybercrime measure.
"The legislation introduced today will give law enforcement the tools it needs to find and prosecute criminals," he said in a statement.
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In events that were first reported by CNET News.com, Bush administration officials have said Internet providers must keep track of what Americans are doing online. Here's the timeline:
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June 2005: Justice Department officials quietly propose data retention rules.
December 2005: European Parliament votes for data retention of up to two years.
April 14, 2006: Data retention proposals surface in Colorado and the U.S. Congress.
April 20, 2006: Attorney General Alberto Gonzales says data retention "must be addressed."
April 28, 2006: Democrat proposes data retention amendment.
May 16, 2006: Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner drafts data retention legislation but backs away from it two days later.
May 26, 2006: Gonzales and FBI Director Robert Mueller meet with Internet and telecom companies.
October 17, 2006: FBI director calls for data retention.
January 18, 2007: Bush administration says it will approach Congress for data retention laws.
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The legislative fusillade marks the renewal of a political tussle that began in earnest last April, when Attorney General Alberto Gonzales called on Congress to target Internet providers with new regulations, which have been generally opposed by telecommunications companies and civil liberties organizations.
CNET News.com was the first to report that the Bush administration has been pushing for such a rule privately since mid-2005.
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Supporters of the proposal say it's necessary to help track criminals if police don't respond immediately to reports of illegal activity and the relevant logs are deleted by Internet providers.
They cite cases of child molestation, for instance.
Details about data retention requirements would be left to Gonzales.
At a minimum, the bill says, the regulations must require storing records -
"such as the name and address of the subscriber or registered user to whom an Internet Protocol address, user identification or telephone number was assigned, in order to permit compliance with court orders."
CONTINUED:
[
link to news.com.com]
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People of GLP beware.
There may be an AC function here, but keep in mind that very soon your ISP will be keeping track of every word you say.
Choose those words well because they may lead to a knock on the door in the middle of the night.
Fair warning has been issued.
Canada
United States
