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Following
EU
,
U.S.
Ponders Asking ISPs To Watch E-mails
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US
Federal big brother may watch over e-mails |
WASHINGTON, June 29 (IslamOnline) -
The Federal Government may soon force
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to keep copies of all e-mail
exchanges for homeland security, news agencies reported.
Reports
that the Al Qaeda is allegedly developing using online and stored data
to disrupt the workings of power grids, air traffic towers, dams, and
other infrastructure, is causing technology experts to ponder on
whether the U.S. federal government is going to pass legislation to
allow the government to mine data on customers saved by ISPs, Fox News
reported on its website on Friday, June 28.
Technology
experts say the
U.S.
federal government may try to do that using the vast law enforcement
allowances provided under the USA Patriot Act, the report said.
"They
drafted the Patriot Act to lower all of the thresholds for the
invasion of privacy," said Gene Riccoboni, a New York-based
Internet lawyer who said he has found loopholes in the anti-terror
legislation that could open up a data retention provision, the paper
said.
Under
the Patriot Act signed into law in October, law enforcement needs as
little as an administrative subpoena to trace names, e-mail addresses,
types of Internet access individuals use, and credit card numbers used
online.
On
September 19, the paper said, the
U.S.
government will announce a National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace,
paving the way, according to technology experts, for the federal
government to include a data retention law.
This
was however denied by the White House. The paper quoted White House
spokeswoman Tiffany Olsen, saying that: “It was not in any way,
shape or form going to be part of the national strategy by any
stretch." She added that the topic was discussed with industry
officials and discarded.
In
a letter to the European Union in October, however, the United States
Mission, the
U.S.
envoy to the EU, suggested data retention for European ISPs in a list
of ways the EU might help the
United States
fight the war on terror, said Fox News.
"The
U.S.
government deeply appreciates the offer of the European Union to work
closely with us against the scourge of terrorism, and hopes that this
list will provide a good basis for future discussion and
cooperation," wrote James J. Foster, deputy chief of the
Mission
.
However,
such plan would not be supported by those in the industry. Shannon
Kellogg, director of information security programs and policy for the
Internet Technology Association of America said that the technology to
store all of that information would be not only costly, but a
technological disaster.
"Aside
from some of the Fourth Amendment problems that the compelled data
retention issue raises, it will have negative financial repercussions
for already cash-strapped ISPs because of the hefty storage
issues," said Riccoboni, the report said.
Such
a law is also being discussed in the EU. On June 9th,
U.K.
daily newspaper the Guardian said that the Europol, the police and
intelligence arm of the European Union, proposed that telephone and
internet firms retain millions of pieces of data, including details of
visits to internet chat rooms and of calls made on mobile phones and
text messages.
The
newspaper said that a draft document entitled 'Expert Meeting on Cyber
Crime: Data Retention' that was passed on to it revealed that the EU
was drawing up a ‘common code’ on data retention which will be
applicable in all member states.
“It
is typical that such a significant change in the control over private
information is being worked out in secret,” said Dr. Ian Brown, a
leading expert on data privacy and director of the Foundation for
Information Policy Research, the Guardian reported.
“It
does seem to have been
Britain
that has put pressure on other member states to put in place this type
of legislation. In 99 per cent of cases it will be used properly, but
what about the other one per cent? There is not enough scrutiny of
what is going on,” he added.
The
Europol document, the paper said, was drawn up at a private
police, intelligence services and customs and excise officials meeting
that took place in
the Hague
in April. Ten areas where companies will be required to keep
information in the fight against international terrorism, domestic
crime and drug running were listed in the document.
The
information retained will include passwords used by individuals,
records of which website addresses are visited as well as details of
web pages looked at and credit card and bank details used for
subscriptions online, the paper said. With regards to e-mail, complete
information will be retained including, sender, time, recipient,
content and date.
Following
EU
,
U.S.
Ponders Asking ISPs To Watch E-mails
WASHINGTON
, June 29 (IslamOnline) - The Federal Government may soon force
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to keep copies of all e-mail
exchanges for homeland security, news agencies reported.
Reports
that the Al Qaeda is allegedly developing using online and stored data
to disrupt the workings of power grids, air traffic towers, dams, and
other infrastructure, is causing technology experts to ponder on
whether the U.S. federal government is going to pass legislation to
allow the government to mine data on customers saved by ISPs, Fox News
reported on its website on Friday, June 28.
Technology
experts say the
U.S.
federal government may try to do that using the vast law enforcement
allowances provided under the USA Patriot Act, the report said.
"They
drafted the Patriot Act to lower all of the thresholds for the
invasion of privacy," said Gene Riccoboni, a New York-based
Internet lawyer who said he has found loopholes in the anti-terror
legislation that could open up a data retention provision, the paper
said.
Under
the Patriot Act signed into law in October, law enforcement needs as
little as an administrative subpoena to trace names, e-mail addresses,
types of Internet access individuals use, and credit card numbers used
online.
On
September 19, the paper said, the
U.S.
government will announce a National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace,
paving the way, according to technology experts, for the federal
government to include a data retention law.
This
was however denied by the White House. The paper quoted White House
spokeswoman Tiffany Olsen, saying that: “It was not in any way,
shape or form going to be part of the national strategy by any
stretch." She added that the topic was discussed with industry
officials and discarded.
In
a letter to the European Union in October, however, the United States
Mission, the
U.S.
envoy to the EU, suggested data retention for European ISPs in a list
of ways the EU might help the
United States
fight the war on terror, said Fox News.
"The
U.S.
government deeply appreciates the offer of the European Union to work
closely with us against the scourge of terrorism, and hopes that this
list will provide a good basis for future discussion and
cooperation," wrote James J. Foster, deputy chief of the
Mission
.
However,
such plan would not be supported by those in the industry. Shannon
Kellogg, director of information security programs and policy for the
Internet Technology Association of America said that the technology to
store all of that information would be not only costly, but a
technological disaster.
"Aside
from some of the Fourth Amendment problems that the compelled data
retention issue raises, it will have negative financial repercussions
for already cash-strapped ISPs because of the hefty storage
issues," said Riccoboni, the report said.
Such
a law is also being discussed in the EU. On June 9th,
U.K.
daily newspaper the Guardian said that the Europol, the police and
intelligence arm of the European Union, proposed that telephone and
internet firms retain millions of pieces of data, including details of
visits to internet chat rooms and of calls made on mobile phones and
text messages.
The
newspaper said that a draft document entitled 'Expert Meeting on Cyber
Crime: Data Retention' that was passed on to it revealed that the EU
was drawing up a ‘common code’ on data retention which will be
applicable in all member states.
“It
is typical that such a significant change in the control over private
information is being worked out in secret,” said Dr. Ian Brown, a
leading expert on data privacy and director of the Foundation for
Information Policy Research, the Guardian reported.
“It
does seem to have been
Britain
that has put pressure on other member states to put in place this type
of legislation. In 99 per cent of cases it will be used properly, but
what about the other one per cent? There is not enough scrutiny of
what is going on,” he added.
The
Europol document, the paper said, was drawn up at a private
police, intelligence services and customs and excise officials meeting
that took place in
the Hague
in April. Ten areas where companies will be required to keep
information in the fight against international terrorism, domestic
crime and drug running were listed in the document.
The
information retained will include passwords used by individuals,
records of which website addresses are visited as well as details of
web pages looked at and credit card and bank details used for
subscriptions online, the paper said. With regards to e-mail, complete
information will be retained including, sender, time, recipient,
content and date.
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