Congress Wants WiFi Owners To Keep Log Files For 2 Years... For The Children
from the it's-always-for-the-children dept
Similar ideas have been proposed before, but new bills have been proposed in both the House and the Senate that require anyone offering internet connectivity to retain log files for two years. There's no good reason for this, of course. It's been shown that such data retention laws actually make it more difficult to track down the information you need while being expensive. But, of course, the politicians are claiming this is "to protect the children." Of course. They even have come up with a silly acronym so that the title of the bill (Internet Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today's Youth Act) spells out "Internet SAFETY Act." Of course, that's a load of crap, because this bill has little to do with protecting children, and won't do much, if anything to actually protect children.It will, however, be a huge nuisance for just about everyone. That's because the bill, as written, doesn't just apply to big ISPs, but to anyone providing internet access -- meaning all of you with your home routers fall under this law and will need to keep log files for two years or, you know, be accused of helping child predators. I can't wait until prosecutors are looking to charge someone with something -- and since they have no actual evidence on whatever it is they're looking for, they'll make use of such a law to prosecute. For the children. Of course.
Can someone pass a law that says that any politician who proposes a law "for the sake of the children" or "to protect the children" automatically gets thrown out of elected office? Protecting children is great -- but why is it that every law that is supposedly there to protect the children never actually has anything to do with protecting children?
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: data retention, protect the children, us, wifi
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
acronym
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Replacing Responsible Parenting with Government Intervention
Overreaching Government goals of "protecting the children" continues to transfer power from Parents to Government.
This is so angering. It's to the point I would like to see a "parent license" come forward. Some people are absolutely astounding. Take OctoMom with her 14 kids needs to have it revoked, not her children protected with Government dollars. Her actions lack judgment, foresight, and are inherently self motivated.
Remember she filed bankruptcy, so who gets to nanny her kids? Why, us taxpayers of course!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Replacing Responsible Parenting with Government Intervention
It was so easy to follow the links to find out who the sponsor was too. Your Overreaching government goals in this case were brought to you by John Cornyn III, with a big 'ole (R) after his name.
Where's your stink now?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Replacing Responsible Parenting with Government Intervention
Try two Republicans being responsible (I know, hard to believe).
On Thursday, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced the Internet Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today's Youth Act of 2009, or the Internet SAFETY Act. (S.436 and H. R. 1076)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Replacing Responsible Parenting with Government Intervention
Overreaching Government goals of "protecting the children" continues to transfer power from Parents to Government.
This is so angering. It's to the point I would like to see a "parent license" come forward. Some people are absolutely astounding. Take OctoMom with her 14 kids needs to have it revoked, and her children don't need to be protected with Government dollars. Make your bed, you get to lay in it! Her actions lack judgment, foresight, and are inherently self motivated.
Remember she filed bankruptcy, so who gets to nanny her kids? Why, us taxpayers of course!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Replacing Responsible Parenting with Government Intervention
Woman has no logic, she's a sellout, and a pitiful person in general who is in bed with the oil company and we know it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Replacing responsible thinking with political rhetoric
Perhaps if you read TFA, you might've come across the first sentence...
"Republican politicians on Thursday called for a sweeping new federal law that would require all Internet providers and operators of millions of Wi-Fi access points, even hotels, local coffee shops, and home users, to keep records about users for two years to aid police investigations. "
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Replacing responsible thinking with political rhetoric
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Replacing responsible thinking with political rhetoric
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Replacing responsible thinking with political rhetoric
That's just a libercrat lie trying to make the Republicans look bad. It was really the libercrats and now they're trying to frame some poor Republicans and the liberal press is going along with it as usual.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
specifics only have a log that roll's over about every 3 days or so.
being in a semi urban area, I get alot of random traffic that uses little to no bandwidth.
If i was required to keep detailed logs such as each individual auth and dhcp release for *two years*, there better be a subsidy program so I can purchase more storage and a server to sort it all.
my god talk about being out of touch in regards to the amount of overhead that such a system requires.
also this would do little to help catch anyone who would use my system.
scenario...
random creep walks by and uploads some CP to an image board.
gov't sees an some IP put the stuff there (lets not even bother wondering how they got that)
IP != person
they contact my ISP to get who had the IP at a certain time
I get mail, or maybe even a knock at the door.
after explaining that i have an open system so anyone could be using my ip at that time, I go over to my server and grab the *two effing years* of useless logs.
they give me a time
i give them X different MACs that were authed around that time
again...
MAC != person
they can be changed, at random, whenever you feel like it
gov't is no closer to catching creep, they have a few days wasted effort, I have a /few/ dollars wasted on logging.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Relonar
Relonar: I get mail, or maybe even a knock at the door.
Dude, it wouldn't be a knock on your door. It'd be the swat team breaking down your door in the middle of the night, shooting your dog even if it's just a Chihuahua, a half million dollar bail (your a child pornographer for christ sake), 5 or 6 figures in legal bills, a chance that you'll get a judge that'll allow the evidence that can exonerate you and a chance that there'll be enough people on the jury who can understand the evidence that you don't get convicted.
You must have missed the memo. When it comes to saving the children leave no doubt that you're guilty until proven innocent and they make that as difficult as possible. Just ask Julie Amero (google if you don't know the story.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
That's fine, they can have my logs. All of them...on floppy's!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Stellar idea! We could call it the "Legislative Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today's Youth Act," because the whole "think of the children" justification is a form of exploitation in itself.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
S.C.A.R.E.
S top
C ongress
(from)
Abolishing
(our)
R ights
E veryday
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: S.C.A.R.E.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Ummm...
RIAA Lawyers set up with jobs in the DOJ...
Now there are laws being proposed to have everyone keep logs of who has access to internet accounts...
Coincidence?
Hey! Didn't Google just get whooped on from privacy advocates for holding onto server logs for more than 6 months?
Another rambling thought... so a cracker gets into your wireless router, and then does something illegal... and then clears the router's logs... How much trouble are you going to be in at that point? Never mind that even if your wireless is locked down, someone can still get on it and spoof your MAC address, so it's going to look like your pc anyway......
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Sorry guys this one is bipartisan
Bush established a copyright Czar during the lame duck period, and the new regime has no plans to "Change" anything in this regard. Look at the recent results of the RIAA's latest cases. It's too much work for them to pursue these matters with the current system. Can you not see the real agenda?
http://opensecrets.org if you still need a clue.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Tie intent to limits
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
"How can we get a piece of that action?" Stooge #1 said.
"I know, let's capture 2 years of internet logs, then find ways to make it socially unacceptable, and lock them away!" said Stooge #2.
"You know, that's great! I talked to a lobbyist at GeoGroup yesterday," quipped Stooge #3, "and they are worried we're not helping their stock. So we need to find more ways to lock non-violent people away"
"Brilliant!" Stooge #4 said while taking a puff from a cigar, "I have to say, Limbaugh has great tastes in Cigars..." Stooge #3 nodded in agreement. "But why are we stopping there? Why can't we legislate the other side of the equation?"
"What do you mean?" Stooge 2 said.
"Why don't we work on legislation to treat children as employees of their parents. If we could find a way to erode the family unit, we could tax allowance money and they can finally build those bridges to nowhere!" Said Stooge #3, slyly. "After all, the under 18 demographic accounts for the largest amount of expendable income."
The meeting ended shortly thereafter, in agreement that they could work on pushing forward the Children's Liberation.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
*sigh*
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
JHC!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Um..
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Two years!? Un-fucking-believable!
(But of course we know they are not that stupid, just shamelessly power-hungry meddlers. They simply want an excuse to potentially turn everybody into a criminal so they have the ability to grab by the balls anyone who happens to catch their attention by doing something they don't like.)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I GOT A SOLUTION
Argh.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I was trying to find more information on http://www.justaskgemalto.com. The site was extremely helpful but I was wondering what you think is the best choice in this matter?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
political paranoia
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Like the logs would mean anything
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The Intarwebz aint what they used to be
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Two bullshit politicians with a bullshit bill.
Not every bill with a clever name and a "think of the children" scare tactic gets passed.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Two bullshit politicians with a bullshit bill.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Unconstitutional in the US?
Isn't this unconstitutional by the fact that anonymity is a part of free speech (1st amendment), and you are innocent until proven guilty, and also the right of protection from unreasonable search and seizure (4th amendment), as well as a few sections of the 5th amendment of the constitution relating to due process.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights#Text_of_the_Bill_of_Rights
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: email your logs
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Washignto Dim Wits
1. Take a problem that requires logical, creative thought and surgical precision to eradicate enough to make a difference...
2. Have Republicans come up with their tried and true solution: Find the biggest sledge hammer you can and start swinging. Sooner or later you might luck out and hit the thing you're trying to get rid of... collateral damage be damned!
3. Tell the general public that the time and $$$ they'll have to spend to keep and then provide such logs on demand, that it's the price society has to pay to "protect the children"
4. Tell the innocent that are unfairly arrested and falsely charged with crimes due to this cluster-f$%k of a law "Oops... sorry... we're just protecting the children. You'll rebuild your life and reputation someday... maybe another Corporate tax break to allow for more offshoring of jobs will help..."
5. Tell those who are unable to keep logs that the exorbitant fine that's levied will go towards "protecting the children in the future".
If you say "NO" to this law... you're no better than the pedophile down the street, and the Republicans will let everyone know that...
Makes sense to me... after 6 Xanax and a case of beer... which is what these REPUBLICAN bozos must of downed before they came up with this idea!
Relonar... be careful. Knowingly opening up your wireless LAN to the outside and allowing free Internet access to masses my violate the Terms of Service with your ISP and possibly a state or local law/ordinance or two (depending on how Fascist, er...Republican leaning your state or local goverment is... don't worry, Democrats suck too)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
This means everyone house would have to have a server collecting all the data and then you would have to play another company also to back that data up. This goes against the 1, 5, 10 amendments.
It would cost so much to keep this data and maintain networks no one will be able to afford the internet at home only large companies could do it.
Also there no way to match IP with Mac addresses from device and they can be changed easily to hide there true Mac address for devices. So the government then will have to create a database and force all network devices Mac addresses to be registered. Just think when ever you by a computer, console, phone, you will be forced to fill out paper work pay a fee to register the device with the goverment first like a car, crazy.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
WIFI
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Why would it do that?
I thought the proposal only addressed WIFI in the home and (of course) all ISP connections. This has the potential to make WIFI in the home prohibitably expensive and therefore a dead market.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Expensive Home Wifi
No folks, no one below ISPs and maybe businesses has to worry about this. And for the reason I stated above this bill won't solve the problems faced by law enforcement and the DOJ in prosecuting criminals. All this does is threaten free wi-fi service providers because they are going to have to make you register with some verifiable identification to cover their butts.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Expensive Home Wifi
Section 3
`(b) Definitions- As used in this section--
`(1) the term `Internet content hosting provider' means a service that--
`(A) stores, through electromagnetic or other means, electronic data, including the content of web pages, electronic mail, documents, images, audio and video files, online discussion boards, and weblogs; and
`(B) makes such data available via the Internet
`(h) Retention of Certain Records and Information- A provider of an electronic communication service or remote computing service shall retain for a period of at least two years all records or other information pertaining to the identity of a user of a temporarily assigned network address the service assigns to that user.'.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Give it to 'em
Let's see these idiots try and read network log files line by line on a sheet of paper while pursuing alleged copyright infringers. (which we all know this is REALLY about)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Hate Pelossi and Republicans
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Get your affairs in order
Ok then, lets assume the law makers have a basic elementary school knowledge of reading and computers, what then?
This is a frightening area of control, there are so many non technical people that could be jurors, all its takes a politician wanting to put another feather under their hat, a public defender with a attitude of let the India techs fix it, and you have instant ability to produce thousands or "prosecutions" for a outstanding record of some responsible free man or woman seeking to further their place in politics.
If we allow our government such free reign to put those that could be challenged to put up a defense to these allegations in a way a jury could understand, is our government any better than those that jail people for the color of their skin, or the religion they worship?
For me, if this is how its going, I better get my affairs in order, because even though I don't view CP, nor really do anything considered illegal I really do not feel comfortable allowing such open threats to persecute people at a whim.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Police already have what they need
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
ROFL
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Civil Disobedience
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Think of the children!
(the above is best read in an overly emotional / over-dramatic voice, with the picture of a person with the back of their hand held to their forehead)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
BYEBYE Internet
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Not just the Internet
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Wireless Security
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
That's wacky
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Security is not everything
[ link to this | view in chronology ]