ISPs Fear SAFETY Act Outlaws Email; While RIAA Thrilled They Can Use Retained Log Files For Anti-Piracy

from the not-so-good dept

Last week, in talking about the misleadingly named Internet SAFETY Act, we focused on how it would most likely require home internet users to retain log files of everyone who connected to their network. Now, others are pointing out two equally annoying consequences (intended or not) of the bill's current wording. First off, ISPs are noting that, based on the current wording of the bill, providing email is effectively outlawed, as it says that anyone that "facilitates access to" child pornography can be fined and imprisoned. ISPs note that email is a commonly used tool to access child pornography. And, yes, while it's clearly not what is intended by the law, we've certainly seen prosecutors looking to bring someone down willing to use ridiculous interpretations of a law.

On top of that, people are noticing that this bill, if turned into a law, would also greatly help the RIAA and the MPAA who would gleefully use those log files to go after more file uploaders. In fact, the RIAA and MPAA have been huge supporters of stronger data retention rules for years. Of course, the longer you keep log files, the more likely it is that there will be massive privacy breaches, but it seems clear that the RIAA and MPAA aren't particularly concerned with privacy, if it means their dying business models can be propped up for another few weeks.

Filed Under: data retention, safety act, unintended consequences